Jeremy ritz is currently ranked in 15th place in the FFT ranking. The former manager of Real Padel Club in Sophia Antipolis evokes his experience in the world of padel, and offers his vision of  French development.

His debut in the padel

"I discovered the padel by chance in the South-West on holiday. We loved it right away. We played with it a lot Morgan Mannarino, who was my partner at the start. I then returned to Paris where I lived at the time, and I sometimes traveled to do tournaments in the south. ”

" meeting with Robin Haziza allowed me to believe with him and thanks to him in the development of padel. So we created Real Padel Club in Sophia. There was a move for me to the Côte d'Azur. It was the first club of padel private in France. "

Work in the world of padel

“When I see the explosion of padel, it validates the choice we made at the time to believe in it. We were a bit the only ones, a bit crazy. I'm really happy that it is developing so much, and to see people having fun in this sport.

“I have no regrets about no longer working in the padel Parts and accessories it didn't suit me in the long run, especially because you have to work a lot in the evenings and weekends. ”

“I'm not saying that I won't come back someday, but rather as an investor or in development aid. I have been offered several projects but I have not yet found something that suits me, but it is in the back of my mind for the future."

“I think it is despite everything an activity in which profitability is hard to find. In my opinion, it is necessary to minimum 8 courts, otherwise it is not worth enough, except in special cases such as Lyon or Toulouse, where they have a more global approach and have invested in the hangar. “

“Today, paying rent in a big city and doing less than 8 lots is a lot of work and risk for a report that is too unattractive. These are heavy investments, and it's a tough job. “

“There would be a need for a little more global agreement”

“I see a lot of positive in the development of padel. It is developing in private structures, in tennis clubs, It's awesome. Today, we are at a stage where the padel is developed a lot by people, that is to say in all the places where there is someone who energizes and who makes efforts to padel. But in all the places where we leave land alone, without animation, it works much less. ”

“We are not mature enough in terms of brand awareness on the padel to estimate that padel are sufficient on their own. It still takes this significant human intervention. This is just the beginning.

“The competition side, there are still imperfections, but having known the padel 10 or 15 years ago we were light years away from what we had before. So I'm not critical on that and it seems great to me. ”

“The negatives: As in all things, there are quite a few people looking to take advantage of this development. It lacks a bit of coordination between all the actors, and there would need a little more global agreement to be able to go higher. ”

“Overall, other than a few things that can be easily improved, this is very positive.”

“I will continue to train”

“I want to continue doing all the French tournaments of padel. I'm going to travel less than before, because my other activities take time and in particular I just had a little boy so I enjoy staying at home even more than before. The plan is to play the P2000 in 2021 and also to play the P1000 in the area near my home. "

“The France team is not a main objective. My goal today is to have fun and have a good time. If I play very well why not, obviously. I have already participated in the European and World Championships and I had a great time but it is no longer a motivation as it has been at other times ”

“I was not in Paraguay by choice, because it was made clear to me that I was not 7th but really 8th at the time and that there was very little chance that I would play. For Italy, I was totally up for it but unfortunately a family reason prevented me from going there at the last minute. ”

“I'm not closing the door at all, but that's not my primary motivation anymore.”

Pequery: My partner

“I changed partners regularly for various reasons. I played with Max Moreau who is not the most stable player on the circuit. I played a year with Scatena, who then embarked on a project of extreme involvement in the padel and it was not my desire. I also played with Jerome Ferrandez, a year old with whom it went well, but he had a baby and he was less inclined to travel.

“And now I'm playing with Jean-Michel Pequery. Unfortunately, we couldn't play too much this year, but it's going very well. I have a partner with whom I am very happy to play and there are no plans to change it, at least on my side… ”

“The physical aspect has become very important”

“What appeals to me in the world of padelis the physical dimension on the World Padel Tour. When we look at today's games and the games before, I think the physique has become very important. This is one of the changes. It is also noticeable on the French circuit: the most trained players are the strongest, but above all those who can put more intensity. ”

“I'm going to do a few more tournaments”

“Ritz 2021 will be major tournaments of padel with Jean Michel. Small tournaments (P1000, P500) close to my home with Jean Michel when he is available, or with others when he is not. ”

“On a personal level, I will try to be a very involved father because it is a fabulous experience and I am having fun in this new role. Professionally, I have a lot of projects but I take a step back from everything that is operational, so I will be more available, especially in the summer, a period during which I was not playing in recent years. So it is likely that you will see me a little more on tournaments. ”

From his names, we can guess his Spanish and Italian origins. Lorenzo is a multilingual passionate about sports: journalism by vocation and events by worship are his two legs. He is the international gentleman of Padel Magazine. You will often see it on the various international competitions, but also on the major French events. @eyeofpadel on Instagram to see his best photos of padel !

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