Who said that Cyril Hanouna was the only one to play with partners who were clearly better than him? Although he is the most famous padel player in France, he is far from being the only one to have a high-level partner.
At all levels, you can buy the services of a stronger player, for various reasons:
- to learn,
- to get a better ranking,
- to save time and obtain a ranking more suited to your real level,
- as part of a bet or game.
It's not really about ego, but rather about fully enjoying the experience and having the chance to play not only with a higher level player, but also against stronger opponents. Isn’t that how we progress?
In France, for example, until 2023 in P250 tournaments, many “hybrid” pairs have been observed. Typically, a teacher or top player was paired with a beginner or mid-level player.
In these cases generally, the student pays the teacher to participate in the tournament. The amount varies depending on the time spent on the court but also depending on the result. If the pair does not come out of the pools, the price generally remains between €150 and €500.
The further the pair advances in the tournament, the more the variable part of the remuneration can increase, especially since the prize money often goes to the teacher, even if for the P500, there is no longer any obligatory one now.
The cost of having your pro or coach depends on several factors:
- the level and ranking of the coach/pro,
- the level of the student: the more beginner they are, the more they will pay.
- furthermore, if the student is a public figure, these rates may be reduced or even canceled.
In recent months, hybrid pairs have disappeared from P250 but they reappear in P500, because players from the French top 500 are no longer authorized in P250. However, even if the general level of P500 has fallen, especially with the end of prize money, this category remains a challenge for these hybrid pairs.
At an international level, it also happens that players pay for higher ranked partners. The terms of these associations vary greatly, often including:
- covering transport costs and sometimes high costs such as accommodation
- full payment of the prize money to the partner,
- sometimes a guarantee, meaning that even in the event of a defeat in the first round, the higher-ranked partner will receive a bonus, although this requires a significant difference in level.
More information on the subject in our interview with Jérémy Scatena:

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.