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
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If even footballers get into it, the padel will explode .... Well done to the team Padel magazine who does a lot of work on the padel !