Padel Magazine – Interview of Didier DESCHAMPS conducted by Kristina CLÉMENT on December 11, 2013 at the Royal Riviera Padel Club de Beausoleil after a fierce 2 hour game of padel and a radiant sun ...

Kristina CLÉMENT (KC) - When and how did you discover the padel? and or?

Didier DESCHAMPS (DD) - When? In Marseille, the first year I became an OM coach, by relationship, I did not know at all. I discovered in Cassis with Jacky (Editor's note: Jacky Barnault: the president of the Cassis club) and Jean-Pierre Bernès. They played there a little bit. So I got down to it. I used to play tennis, but when we play padel, we can't play tennis anymore. I used to play tennis a lot but now I only play padel because it is more fun and less traumatic.

KC - How often do you play?

DD - It depends. There, I have a frequency that allows me to play a little more. In Marseille it was a little more complicated. But I still played 2 3 times a week.

KC - What do you like about padel?

DD - The playful side. It is the reading of the trajectories, to be able to play with the windows, to anticipate the trajectories. I was used, when I was young, to play trinquet, pelota basque. It looks a lot like it. It's a lot of anticipation, quite short distances.

KC - What are your strengths at padel?

DD - The legs ... after technique, it can always be better, but I assume that no point is lost. Even the most unlikely balls, I think they are still playable.

KC - Are you rather player of right or left on the court?

DD - More left to have my forehand in the middle.

KC - What do you think is the most difficult thing in this sport?

DD - The smashes in the back position. When you have to “jump”, because it's not easy to pull it down and because it pumps energy, so I tend to let them pass rather than smash them.

KC - And the walls?

DD - The walls, no…. it's a pleasure ! There should be walls everywhere else!

KC - Have you ever attended padel of the professional circuit in Spain? (World Padel Tour).

DD - No. Never. I just played with some of the best French players who came to Cassis.

KC - As you know padel is very developed in Spain with nearly 4 million practitioners. Do you think the padel could experience the same success one day in France?

DD - I think ... it's still unknown, but yes. In particular, I saw in cassis that there are many women who play also because it is less violent and it is playful. After, the difficulty is that you have to find 3 partners. In tennis, you only need one because you will play in singles. It's a bit more difficult. After in the clubs, where there are many members, it allows to have several possibilities to play.

KC - If you had to define the padel in a few words ?

DD - Entertaining, playful, pleasure.

KC - Wink question: you know that the padel is a team sport. Is it easier to manage a team of 2 or 11?

DD - without any hesitation… a team of 11… and even it's not 11 but 23!

Kristina Clément - Padel Magazine

Franck Binisti

Franck Binisti discovers the padel at the Club des Pyramides in 2009 in the Paris region. Since padel is part of his life. You often see him touring France going to cover the major events of padel French.

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