True legend of French tennis, Henri Leconte discovered in Spain a new passion that he brought back to France.

 How do you explain the rapid growth of padel in France? 

This is obvious: it is a playful sport, simpler than tennis and squash, and especially accessible to all.

 What are the advantages of this discipline compared to other racket sports? 

You start enjoying it right away, whereas for tennis you have to wait two or three years. For my part, I discovered padel with Manolo Santana in Spain a few years ago and I quickly fell in love with this sport. Since then, I try to do it as often as possible and I decided to create my own company "Henri Leconte Padel ».

 How can padel be beneficial for tennis players? 

You work mostly on the fly, the smash and your timing. We must also build the point, be cunning. It's a very tactical sport, like a game of chess. It is played as a team, which needs to be complementary. And the more you progress, the harder it is physically.

 Why did you decide to open the first club in Manosque? 

Michel and Laurent Chaumeton were looking for a modern, fun, fun and dynamic sport to set up in Manosque. They came to see me, the idea came to fruition and in June 2014 the Complex was born. It's a bit like our baby at HLP and I'm very proud of it. I really thank Michel and Laurent for having this idea and for all the work they do daily. They are the pioneers, who had the audacity to install these three padel courts.

 In the medium term, how do you imagine the development of padel? 

It will continue to develop rapidly. The tennis federation has understood this well by integrating it. It is well aware that the number of tennis licensees is falling every year and that padel will bring new momentum, because everyone can play it. Tennis requires more effort on all levels. Tennis clubs will increasingly add padel courts, I am convinced of it.

Harry Hoze

Harry Hozé discovered padel somewhat by chance, thanks to a friend. A true tennis enthusiast, he immediately got hooked on this discipline. His day of glory came in May 2017 when, as part of a report for a regional newspaper, he hit the ball with Henri Leconte.

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