Jaume Santo is a great man of padel Barcelona. High level player, coach at the famous club of padel Real Polo Club. Jaume tells us all about him, his club, his opinions and his ambitions. Interview with Jean-Marc Hérard.

Jaume, sport and you, it's a long story ...

I fell in the sport and the competition very small. I am 33 years old, from Figueres and live in Barcelona since my 16 years. I came here fellow, as a top tennis player.

But this is the padel who will come to me. Normal for a Spanish you would say. I became a National Monitor of padel and coordinator of the Real Polo Club de Barcelona competition school.

This week I made my debut on the circuit World Padel Tour. I am also playing in the Catalan league where I reached my best ranking by entering the top 30.

 You were born with a racket in your hand?

Oh yes! Racket in hand from the age of 6, I played tennis as a professional (1300 single and double ATP) then I moved to the world of tennis. padel...

What are your goals for the current season?

There are no goals. Competition is secondary since the padel is actually a hobby. My job as a coach is demanding. I like competition but above all I look for the fun of tournaments.

This year, the results are good… Why not reach the Catalan top 20, and play tournaments of World Padel Tour if I find a sponsor and economic aid.

Coaching side, you have ambitions too?

I love the high level coaching part. But it's also very nice to see the progress of the children and adults you train.

What motivates the most, however, is competitive coaching. Unlike tennis, where it is not easy to give advice, padel there is a much greater proximity to the players. The coach is really a third man during the match.

I also have the chance to train C.Gomis (4e Catalan), and many players of the top 50 Catalan. I also trained L. Sainz (4e WPT) in 2015.

I use my experience as a top player in tennis to consider the situations the player is facing.

Besides, you are on several fronts ...

In addition to my job as coach and autor coordinator in competition, since 2015, I have been captain of the female A team at local and national events. This is the Catalan division 1 of the padel. The Catalog is certainly the strongest region in Spain with among the gentlemen Lima, Bela, Jardim, Lahoz, Company, etc. and among women, Salazar, Triay, Sanz…

The Real Polo Club is also the stage of World Padel Tour of Barcelona.

The Real Polo Club is a club located in Barcelona ...

Here the padel started in the 80s and 90s, the structure is enormous: 20 padel, more than 40 tennis courts, 3 hockey / lawn fields, 1 polo field.

About the school of padel, this season we have 400 students.

France you know well ...

As a tennis player, I have participated in tennis tournaments. I was assimilated -15. I also continue to play team matches in France near Perpignan, Clermont-Ferrand, Paris, Mulhouse ...

And obviously the padel now send me to France Thanks to Royal Padel and Henri Leconte with whom I made demos.

Your opinion on the padel in France precisely ...

Le padel is in full explosion in France. We hear more and more about it with clubs that open every month, French players who come to try the adventure in Spain. I actually played recently with Robin Haziza. We had training with Marrero / Salazar.

Regarding the integration of padel in the French Tennis Federation, I do not have all the cards in hand to have a final opinion, but in Spain we have seen that Tennis and padel, it could not stick or so temporarily.

A 100% parallel structure padel must make its appearance with competent people who come from this field and who know how it works. They are complementary sports and therefore they are not the same.

Will we be able to see you evolve in France in demo or competition?

I will be with Henri Leconte in demonstration normally on July 10 and 11 in Avignon. Moreover, in the context of my relations with Royal Padel and Henri Leconte Padel, I should precisely invest myself more and more in the French market.

I take this opportunity to thank Sasco (specialist in padel, tennis and skiing in Barcelona) and indicate that I am looking for sponsors (WPT objectives) and am open to all types of services (demos, clinics, etc.).

Interviewed by Jean Marc Herard

Retouvez Jaume Santo on the networks:

  • @JeimsSanto Twitter y Insta
  • FB Jaume Santo
Jean-Marc Herard

Jean-Marc Herard is the chronicler Padel Magazine internationally. Barcelona offers us a more international vision of padel including his chronicle Padel Buzz. JMH is the scanner of padel World.

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