Jérémy Ritz is one of the most popular players on the circuit padel French. His fighting spirit is certainly his greatest strength in the field. In the race with his partner Jérôme Ferrandez to be part of Team France Padel, it's time for us to know more about this lover of padel.

  • You have one of the pasts padelrichest characteristics in France ...

Let's say the padel has been part of my life for over 6 years. I was vice-champion of France in 2017 with Jérémy Scatena, I was also titled at the National Padel Cup

I am a member of the French team of padel for 2 years and have co-directed with Robin Haziza, Real Padel Sophia Club for 3 years. So it starts to count!

  • How did you fall into the padel ?

I discovered the Padel in Lacanau while I was on vacation with friends. 

The field was in a catastrophic state as were the loan rackets but we immediately loved it and played it all day during the holidays. There was Morgan Mannarino in the band who was my partner for a while.

Morgan Mannarino
Morgan Mannarino

Then back in Paris it was at the time impossible to play so we only played when we went down to the south. We started with Morgan to do the 3/4 tournaments that there were at the time in the year and we met the “old” of the Padel : Alexis Salles, Patrick Fouquet, Cédric Carité, Jeremy Scatena, Robin Haziza, Nallé Grinda…

I particularly sympathized with Robin and then I went down to the south to join him and start the Real adventure Padel to Sophia.

  • Your past crocodile in tennis, does it help you?

I was a rather modest player since my best ranking was 1/6. In the field I was more a brawler than talented and I think that it is reflected a little in my padel today ! #limiter 

The level of tennis obviously helps but the fact of not being a little better is also one of my limits today I think! Let's say that I volley a little slower than others for example.

  • Your story in the padel makes you already an “old man” with a vision for these last years ...

In the wake of Robin who was already like crazy with this sport, I was one of the first to believe it ... At the time people thought we were crazy to do so much ground (4!), Now There are clubs with 12 terrain and I find it fabulous.

I stopped working in the padel because it's very addicting and I wanted to balance my life differently but I am 100% convinced that we are only at the very beginning of the development of this sport. I look forward to betting on the padel 😉

  • What do you think of the evolution of padel with the gentlemen?

There are clearly players who stand out today because of their results and investments and who deserve their place.

I have been lucky to be in the team since 2 years and I lived great moments so I will do my best to stay there. One thing is sure, it's getting harder every year!

  • Do you have a training program?

I do not play as much as some but I'm lucky to have Queco Catalan a Spanish coach who is also my friend to Sophia and allows me to train. 

It has been a lot of fun this winter so it was not easy but normally I try to play 3 / 4 once a week by mixing training and games.

  • Your strong point

I play exclusively on the right despite a rather successful experience on the left this winter (with a magnificent victory with Raphael Jannel over Loïc Le Panse / Maxime Moreau at the Open Tennis Padel Sun). Overall I like everything but it's true that my qualities are more in defense than in attack.
  • For these French championships of padel, who will you play with?

I will play with Jérôme Ferrandez.
  • Your blow of mouth

I would like us to stop making fun of my baldness because it becomes heavy and hard to live with ahahaha!

Seriously I do not have a real joke but I think it should still quickly harmonize tournaments and categories. There are still too many differences in tournament levels as well as in the awarding of points. 

In order to continue to motivate everyone and to create a system as fair as possible it seems to me that some adjustments are necessary!

Interview by Franck Binisti

Franck Binisti

Franck Binisti discovers the padel at the Club des Pyramides in 2009 in the Paris region. Since padel is part of his life. You often see him touring France going to cover the major events of padel French.