Jérémy Scatena: I know what player I am

Focus on Jérémy Scatena, a player who does not leave you indifferent. He is the conductor of the French team of padel. Able to ignite crowds on and off the field. He is also and above all one of the top French players.

He made a very promising start on the circuit of padel professional World Padel Tour. New partner, new adventures, Jérémy Scatena, a new man? Interview.

Before talking about the future, can we come back to 2018. Your impressions on the professional circuit…

In 2018, it was the year that allowed me to start my career on the World Padel Tour. I thought I didn't have the level to be competitive in the WPT. And Robin Haziza offered to do a few tournaments with him. We made some results and especially a match in Jaen on the central against two players of the top 90/80. This match was a click.

Thanks to this match with Robin, I started my adventure a few weeks later with the Argentinian Nicolas Suescun (110WPT). A very promising start to the collaboration with a victory against 2 players from the world top 60 in the main draw of a Challenger.

2018 is also a meeting with Jean-Michel Pequery, mental coach, who I hope will allow me to take a step forward.

Finally with the France team, we experienced incredible moments, there was an exceptional atmosphere and a crazy atmosphere. This is probably the best week of sport in my life. Finish 4th and live this experience with my friends I didn't want to go home anymore.

2018 is also a disappointment ...

Even if I say little about it, the period around the French championships of padel 2018 was complicated.

The fact of not being able to defend my chances at the French championships because of my injury which occurred in Lugo in the last round of pre-previa, it was not obvious in the head especially. I opened my knees, there was blood everywhere. I still remember the representative of the WPT and the nurse: they were white as a sheet.

With the violence of the shock, we were afraid that some ribs were broken.

I take this opportunity to thank some rivals and friends of the French team like Benjamin Tison who supported me while I was tough. With Adrien Maigret, they had a certain restraint given my physical condition at the time. It shows their state of mind.

2019, do we go back to 0?

I benefit from the experience of the past. But yes, 2019 is a year where there are a lot of changes.

And the planets are aligned. I had plans to change my trainer and go to Madrid. Then in December Gemma Triay and Lucia Sainz changed trainers. That changed everything, my trainer Pablo Aymà put together a group with 5 top 70 players which allows me to train in incredible conditions.

I accentuated my preparation on the physical especially with Yann Lejeune because it is obvious that the physical and the mental are the keys to padel of tomorrow. The hand is no longer enough, luckily for me (laughs).

I play with a new partner, very little known in the world of padel, Mark Bernils. A left-hander who has almost no points on the circuit. But I take the bet that it will go very far.

Your ambitions in Spain?

This year, my top priority is to enter the Top 100 WPT. I think I have the level to get there, even if it is very difficult because you have to regularly win 3 games in pre-previas, and beat top 100 players. I will play most French tournaments with my partner Mark Bernils and in particular the P2000. I will play the French championship with Robin and we will try to win.

You will keep news padelist in France?

Not as much as I would have liked. The FFT could propose dates for the FFT Padel Tour that fall during stages of the World Padel Tour. If this is the case, there are chances that French players who get involved in the WPT will not make certain steps of the FFT.

Le FFT Padel Tour could be an amazing circuit. And it's still crazy to think that the top French players could miss some of these stages. I'm crossing my fingers that's not the case.

I invite the FFT to approach the WPT to make its calendar in the future.

The FFT sponsors the champions of France (Blanqué and Bergeron) to shine at the WPT and besides that, the calendar of the FFT Padel Tour will not allow them to play all WPT tournaments. Too bad, right?

There are solutions. The padel is growing all over the world. The WPT is taking advantage of this padel. The French elite circuit can benefit from this development.

The world of padel sees the development of the French elite circuit very positively. In Marbella, I approached their representative and they are very open to help us have dates in line with their stages.

Let's go back to your new partner, Mark Bernils.

I met Mark Bernils while training with Juan Alday, Robin and Alix's trainer. We did a few Catalan tournaments together and a friendship was born. Until now he was not doing the WPT circuit. So I suggested that he test himself on the pro circuit.

He has 20 years and a crazy potential, but he also has flaws. He is very sensitive emotionally which sometimes makes him nervous on the field. He makes a lot of points and mistakes. It is a player who takes a lot of risks and I like it.

We started the year with a previa in a master passing 3 tours. It's the beginning of a beautiful story that can take us far.

It is a rare pearl is I am really happy that he is my partner I will enjoy the maximum this year to go as far as possible.

Is there a difference between Scat 2018 and Scat 2019?

Yes, there is a real difference, the main one is that I know today which player I am and it took me a lot of time. I'm a big hitter with a big forehand shot and an average defender, so I bet on the attack to win the games.

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.