Benoît Théard is not Thibaud Pech!

Zoom on the 20th French and Toulouse player Padel Club, Benoit Theard. The offbeat interview was conducted by Mélissa Martin during the Cupra Master Padel Tour at 4PADEL Toulouse Colomiers.

“Thibaud Benoît, it’s the same thing!”

Question: You are often confused with your partner, Thibaud Pech. Aren’t you tired of it?
Yes, I don't understand, we don't have the same haircut! No, I'm not tired of it, it shows that we are one. Thibaud Benoît, it's the same thing.

Ranking, a source of motivation

Question: What does your current ranking mean to you?
Yes, the ranking means something. It rewards the Sacrifices and job that we have done in recent years. Being 16th French is truly incredible for me, and I am very proud to have arrived there. But this ranking allows us above all to be first in the series in big tournaments, which makes our journey easier. Our main objective is simple: win all the tournaments you participate in. And for 2025, I set myself another ambitious goal: qualify for the French Championships! (Laugh)

A balance between sport, work and family

Question: You train less than other players. Does that sometimes frustrate you?
I don't know if I train much less than others, but I try to do the most with my professional and family constraints. I have no frustration about this, my balance is very good like that.

Strengths and weaknesses: between defense and aggression

Question: What are your strengths and areas for improvement?
My strong point, I would say, is my to the defense, thanks to my speed and my vision of the game. My weak point? Probably my aggressiveness on the fly.

A solid pair despite the difficulties

Question: Some people compare your duo to other famous couples who ended up breaking up. What do you think about that?
No, it's still different. These couples ended up breaking up, but we never talked about breaking up with Thibaud. Even though we had some complicated moments, we have always tried to find solutions together. I'm so happy to have reached this ranking and this level playing with him. If I had to change something? I would play to the left with a left-hander.

Franck Binisti

Franck Binisti discovered padel at the Club des Pyramides in 2009 in the Paris region. Since then, padel has been part of his life. You often see him touring France to cover major French padel events.