Blanqué / Leygue: “2023 French championships” operation

With already a French Championship in their pocket, the Blanqué/Leygue pair dreams of a double this year. The players who won the Toulouse-Colomiers P2000 return to various current topics at the microphone of Mario Cordero. Excerpts.

The Thomas Leygue/Ferran Insa pair internationally

“The goal is to continue with Insa. It structures me a lot and I bring to it my grain of madness and youth. Little by little we get to know each other. He is very hard on me, very strict. He is a true tactician who does not accept any absurd mistakes. It helps me a lot, it makes me see the padel in another way."

The conditions at padel

“Changes in conditions can be complicated. You can play indoors or outdoors, on courts with the grid at the top, or a very hard grid with a ball that does not bounce. There is also humidity, sun, wind…

It can change the outcome of matches. For example, Coello and Tapia get by in the eighth at Roland-Garros because the others are stressed, but they lose 5/3 serves to follow in the third, against a very young pair (editor's note. Ramirez/Garcia). They almost take out Coello/Tapia, because it's so hot and as they are two bombers, obviously it comes out well from the racket. So over time, the conditions will become important. We know that there are pairs that are difficult to play based on that.”

Big players, big fields

“On television or on YouTube, people want to see the top seeds. If we put Coello/Tapia on a side course, everyone will want to go to that court. Television wants more spectators, and to have as many people as possible.

Seeds 1 and 2 must always play on center court or court 2 when it’s a second center.”

public greenweez Paris major roland garros 2023 — PARIS FRANCE SEPTEMBER 09 Paris Premier Padel 2023 at Stade Roland Garros on September 09 2023 in Paris France Photo by Silvestre SzpylmaPremier Padel

Thomas Leygue's grips and rackets

“I play with an overgrip on the basic grip and with two rackets. I change them every three or four sets so that they are always roughly the same. I'm going to try to do like Bela (editor's note: Fernando Belasteguín) and switch to three rackets. It was him who gave me the idea.

I sweat a lot so it allows the strap to dry and both rackets stay at the same level of play.”

Thomas' interview in full:

A revival for Bastien Blanqué?

“I had a complicated start to the season. I couldn't play for a few weeks, I came back with Benoit Theard, then with Julien Seurin. We had some good matches with Julien, but we struggled to relax together on the pitch.

We did a South American tour with Dylan which went well. We draw in Mendoza and semi-final in Mexico. We had a wild-card at Roland-Garros, we took points in the ranking.

The national and international circuits are very different. With Thomas, we play very well together in France, but internationally, we never have huge results. He has his partner and I have mine. I hope that things will continue with Dylan and that we will continue to do great things on the circuit. “

“2 hours of padel and 1h30 of physics per day minimum”

“When I came back from my injury, I had physical training very early in the morning, around 8am. Afterwards I trained padel two hours, then more physical training in the afternoon. I try to keep this rhythm as much as possible. The tournaments are so consecutive that we have to reduce the amount of training.

I found a good balance in Toulouse, but I think that for young people, you have to go to Spain. Personally, I had my experience in Madrid for more than 5 years. I had excellent coaches, luxury sparring in training. Now I will find my mental balance, but the results are good, everything is fine.”

The French Championships

“With Thomas, we play so well in France that there is little chance of us separating. In the years to come, perhaps players will no longer play them and there will be Premier Padel at the same time. Maybe that will make the difference.

In any case, we are good with Thomas. We’ll see based on the results and everyone’s desires.”

Keeping the best players in France

"If there is Premier Padel in Argentina at the same time as the French Championships, unfortunately, we will no longer be able to come and do them. I hope not.

It is important to keep the best players in France, for the economy of padel French, amateurs, young people who identify… At least there are two P2000 tournaments organized and a big French Championship. Otherwise for development it risks being complicated.”

P2000 imposed on players?

“The best players have contracts with the Federation. It requires us to take the steps of FFT Padel Tour and the stages of the circuit. Despite everything, the priority remains with the FIPs. The federation wants us to be the best at international level so it’s normal that we see fewer and fewer French days coming back.”

"The padel is a young sport, I think it takes time. Next year there will be 24 announced stages of the Premier Padel, then FIP Rise. If the Federation manages to make a few steps and a great French Championship, it will be great, and the French players will come back. Raising the prize money, bringing more people into the stands, making better publicity, that would also help.”

A P2000 at Roland-Garros?

“Opening Roland-Garros for a week costs a lot. We must take into account all security, organization, locker rooms, etc.

“We perhaps also need to maintain a certain hierarchy between pro circuits and national circuits. We must not confuse everything. The economic model is not the same. I think they want to differentiate international circuits, like Premier Padel with an grand Chelem at Roland-Garros other national stages, such as the French Championship which remains less strong.”

“When everything is organized, we will have very beautiful international and national circuits.”

Watch the interview in full below: