Guillaume Solis, Vice-President of the Île-de-France League, President of the Lésigny club, and co-organizer of the FIP Promises Paris by WME, gives a very positive assessment of the Île-de-France Youth Masters held at the Club des Pyramides. He discusses the improvement in the level of young players, the development of women's padel, and reveals the ambitions for the second edition of the FIP Promises Paris, which promises to be even more prestigious. 

"The level has clearly increased compared to last year."

 Padel Magazine :  There's a general sense of enthusiasm surrounding this Youth Masters program. Many people are highlighting the impressive level displayed by the young athletes this year. Do you share this observation?

 Guillaume Solis:  Yes, absolutely. It's very noticeable when you compare it to the previous edition. The level has improved in all categories, from U12 to U18. The girls are also playing better and better. We're seeing some very promising pairs emerge, and I'm convinced this progress will continue.

What's also gratifying is seeing so many participants. I hope this momentum will continue at the Île-de-France Regional Championships, which remain a major event for our League.

"There will be many people from the Île-de-France region at the French Championships"

 Padel Magazine :  The French Youth Championships are now approaching.

 Guillaume Solis:  Yes, and the Île-de-France region will be very well represented. Many of our young players will be there. This is the result of the work done by the League, but also by the clubs.

In Lésigny, for example, we will have finalists in almost every category of this Master's program. This is truly gratifying and rewards the work of everyone involved with young people.

"Women's padel is becoming more structured."

 Padel Magazine :  Despite this progress, young girls still have few competitions exclusively for women. Is this situation likely to change?

 Guillaume Solis:  Yes, I'm optimistic. In our club, we're already seeing real progress. More and more women want to play competitively and they're asking for more tournaments.

This demand will naturally create more events and allow new players to emerge.

Today, some young girls regularly train with boys. It's not always easy, but it benefits them enormously. They develop a true competitive spirit.

Padel remains a young sport. It continues to develop its structure, and women and young people now play a vital role in its growth.

"The FIP Promises Paris has become an unmissable event."

 Padel Magazine :  The FIP Promises Paris by WME will be arriving in a few weeks. Everyone here is already talking about it.

 Guillaume Solis:  And that's great! It's essential that young French players are there. Players from the National Training Centre will also be coming. It's important to represent our country.

We're putting a lot of energy into this event, along with JT Peyrou, Anaïs, yourself, and all our partners. The goal is simple: to offer a true celebration of padel.

"The youngsters will play on the central track of the Bordeaux P2."

 Padel Magazine :  What will be the main new features of this second edition?

 Guillaume Solis:  If all goes well... we'll have sunshine! (laughs)

But above all, thanks to our 100% partner Padel, we will install the central track used during the Premier Padel Bordeaux P2. The youngsters will therefore be playing on the same pitch as the biggest global stars.

We will also improve everything that worked well last year: better organization, more entertainment, stands, sound system worthy of a major tournament, not forgetting masterclasses for young people.

The International Federation of Padel will be present, which is a first for a FIP Promises stage in France.

Finally, thanks to the media strategy implemented with Padel Magazine, young people will benefit from exceptional visibility.

"The French will have their say."

 Padel Magazine :  Can we expect good results for the French this year?

 Guillaume Solis:  Yes, sincerely. We have some very good players who should be there: Olivier Guy de Chamisso, Sacha Huard de la Marre, Sacha Devriendt, Lucas Pillon, among others. I'm bound to forget some.

There will be some nice surprises for the girls too.

I think we can have a very good competition. In any case, one thing is certain: we have improved and we will be competitive.

"We want to create a true padel village"

Beyond the competition, Guillaume Solis emphasizes the family aspect of the event.

“There will be entertainment, a children’s park, gifts, surprises and many activities. We want families to spend the whole day there. FIP Promises Paris will not just be a tournament: it will be a true padel village.”

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.

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