The article on padel published by L'Express on May 11th did not leave some players indifferent. Among them, Jean-Michel Leygue, an amateur player for about ten years. ,  a keen observer of the evolution of this sport, and incidentally (of course!) the father of a member of the French national team, Thomas LeygueHe wanted to respond. Without denying certain shortcomings that can be found on the field, he believes that the article conveys a reductive image of a discipline that is currently experiencing unprecedented global growth. 

A shared observation on the explosion of padel

Jean-Michel Leygue first acknowledges several points raised in the column. Yes, padel is experiencing spectacular growth. With more than  35 millions of practitioners in the world  (Editor's note: this figure should be taken with a grain of salt, as it actually comes from the International Federation of Padel), it has established itself as one of the most dynamic sports on the planet.

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France perfectly illustrates this progression. While the discipline was virtually unknown thirty years ago, it now brings together nearly  700 practitioners In Spain, the true home of padel, the sport has approximately  6 billion video gamers worldwide. which makes it the second most practiced sporting activity after football.

Another point of agreement: its accessibility. As Jean-Michel Leygue points out, padel allows beginners to quickly enjoy themselves, much more easily than other racket sports or golf.

"There aren't 35 million idiots, after all."

Where the practitioner disagrees is with the sometimes caricatured image associated with padel.

With humor, he parodies a famous song by Michel Sardou: "I know padel well, it's not at all what you're saying; there aren't 35 million idiots out there."

According to him, reducing padel players to people simply seeking to let off steam or display a form of virility is a distorted view of reality.

"As in all sports, one can encounter some excessive behavior. But this is certainly not what characterizes the majority of practitioners," he believes.

A sport based on conviviality

For Jean-Michel Leygue, the success of padel rests above all on its social aspect.

Unlike many individual sports, padel is played exclusively in doubles. This characteristic encourages interaction, encounters, and shared moments.

The games regularly bring together friends, colleagues, or family members. The post-game gatherings often play as important a role as the game itself.

"It's a sport that creates bonds," he summarizes.

Behind the accessibility lies a real technical complexity

The other misconception that Jean-Michel Leygue wants to combat concerns the supposed simplicity of the game.

While the initial exchanges are relatively accessible, progression quickly becomes demanding.

The bounces off the glass walls, a unique aspect of padel, require months of practice. Added to this is mastering spin, coordinated movements with one's partner, tactical patterns, and the various smash variations.

"The windows have a way of humiliating beginners for many long months," he jokes.

This technical expertise also explains the rapid development of teaching structures and the proliferation of specialized coaches in France.

The figures also speak for themselves: in 2025, the French Tennis Federation recorded more than  33,000 official padel tournaments , across all levels.

Professionals far removed from stereotypes

Jean-Michel Leygue also wants to defend the image of professional players.

According to him, their reality is often unknown to the general public. Aside from the competitions held every two weeks, the best players train approximately  20 hours per week in addition to a particularly rigorous daily physical preparation.

"They are true athletes," he insists.

These are athletes who operate far from the media attention of tennis or golf, and whose incomes often remain incomparable to those of the stars of these disciplines.

However, he believes that this difference in notoriety does not detract from their commitment or their merit.

A sport that appeals to all generations

Beyond the debate, Jean-Michel Leygue points out a reality that is difficult to dispute: padel continues to attract an ever-wider audience.

Long associated with a population of middle-aged professionals, it is now affecting more and more young people, women and families.

A diversity which, according to him, better reflects the true identity of this sport than some of the clichés sometimes conveyed.

For the player, the continued growth of padel is not solely due to a fad. It rests primarily on a rare blend of accessibility, conviviality, technical richness, and team spirit.

All these arguments explain why, all over France, the pitches continue to fill up week after week.

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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