Jérémy Scatena: “The padel, the adventure of my life”

Jérémy Scatena comes back for Padel Magazine on the incredible human adventure he experienced thanks to padel until his retirement as a professional player. A series of encounters that made him grow. He hopes be able to play a new role in the future to develop the padel in France. Interview.

2023: one of the most complicated seasons

My 2023 assessment: I consider this to be one of my worst years since 2017. I would even compare it to 2021, which was not very good either. For the first time, I didn't have a major dream or goal driving me.

After winning the bronze medal with the French team at the last world championships, reaching 67th place in the world (FIP) and entering the top 100 in the ranking of World Padel Tour, thus becoming the first Frenchman to reach this rank on the benchmark professional circuit of the time, I think I reached my maximum.

Jérémy Scatena: “I decided to end my career as a football player padel professional"

More goals to motivate me to train

I've been struggling to make sense of my training, matches and tournaments lately. I could no longer wake up in the morning with the same passion and determination as I had in the past. I no longer had goals that motivated me to train hard, push my limits and aim for higher rankings.

Different partners: because of my poor performance

I played with different partners because of my up and down performances. I think it's clear and there's no point in lying to yourself.

I suffered these partner changes because I was not good enough in 2023.

Fortunately, thanks to my accumulated points, I was able to play with competent players on the rare occasions that I played well during the year. And then, in addition to my rather average performances, it is true that I did not have good paintings.

But the good news: I'm quite proud to have managed to end this season with some good matches like in Madrid or Rome, and the FIP Rise in the Netherlands. There were a few moments where I could have done a little better and improved my season, but a few good results came to alleviate a difficult season.

The positive point: I managed to manage my season well

Knowing how to manage periods of less success is possible today with the explosion in the number of international tournaments on all continents. And obviously, the levels from one continent to another can vary very significantly.

I participated in smaller tournaments to avoid a bad record like in Egypt or Japan. Because yes, with the boom in tournaments padel via the FIP Tour, it is now possible to go to tournaments in Eastern Europe, Asia, Africa, Oceania, earn important points so as not to be dropped in the ranking when you are in a bad pass. And then it also allows you to restart mentally, to win a few matches, even if the level of these competitions has nothing to do with the Spanish, French or Italian FIP for example.

World top 100 mission: accomplished!

If for the moment, semi-professional / professional players have not really yet realized the opportunities offered by the FIP Tour with a boom in international tournaments, I think that what I did in 2023, others players will do so more and more from 2024.

I managed my career in 2023 to allow me to reach the top 100 in the world. And the mission is accomplished.

My best year with Tison in 2020

However, what is certain is that to win matches you have to be good and have a good partner. The recipe is simple. Every time I have performed well in my career, I have been able to win matches with different partners.

I had my best season in 2020 in tandem with Benjamin Tison. In fact, at the start of the year, I was a little better than him, but at the end of the year, his performance was higher than mine. We managed to win important matches including two tournaments where we passed five rounds and lost a very close match against Antonio Luque and Jon Sanz.

This is perhaps the season where I achieved the most notable victories of my career.

I will no longer be a professional player in 2024

Regarding the year 2024, my plans are still a little vague, but I can say that I will no longer be a player of padel professional. I will no longer have to get up early in the morning to train intensively like I have been doing since 2018.

I will continue to participate in major tournaments because of the points accumulated, but my main focus will be on my professional life and my life philosophy focused on physical well-being.

Present in several = 100% Padel, my life, my goal

For about a year and a half I have been involved in land sales and construction. padel via my company, Present in several = 100% Padel.

I have big ambitions for this company. We recently hired a key person who was the co-founder of one of the largest companies in this space. His mission begins on January 2.

We aim to become the official venue for international tournaments and to sponsor French players to help them in their careers, while giving back to the padel a little of what he brought to my life.

A lot of things are falling into place. And I promise, I will come back to you for what we are putting in place for 2024.

What motivates me the most is succeeding in life while providing opportunities for those close to me and those I love. If I can contribute to their success and development while earning a living, it is an important goal for me that gives me great energy.

There is a Scat effect on Ben and Ben on Scat

With Ben, it’s undeniable that there was a mutual influence. However, I would say Ben's effect on me was more significant. Over the year, Ben has had some physical problems, and it's not easy mentally. But he managed to get back into shape at the end of the season and he ultimately achieved a great finish with a very good level of play.

For my part, I had already made the decision to end my career as a professional player. padel.

If Ben had said yes, I would have said yes

However, if Ben had chosen to continue, I might have considered training alongside him for a few months, specifically for the French team, in order to make one last dance together. We achieved exceptional performances with the national team, 4th in 2018, 4th in 2020 and this incredible 3rd place at the last world championships in Doha. If Ben had continued, I would have fought so that we could have one last great moment with the team, one last dance with the France team.

The end of a cycle and the beginning of a new adventure

It’s definitely the end of a cycle with Ben and I.

However, life goes on, and it is time to make way for the new generation.

My departure will not have a major impact on the French team, although this slightly weakens the left side of the team. However, there are other players who are just as capable, if not better, to fill this position. I am confident that our team will continue to succeed thanks to the team spirit we have built over the years.

It is one of our greatest prides, and it deeply bonds us to each other.

Play a different role with the France team

And to tell you the truth, if my playing career ends, I want to continue in another way. I hope that I will have this opportunity to have a mission alongside the team.

I think that with Johan Bergeron, Bastien Blanqué, Robin Haziza, Adrien Maigret and Ben Tison, we created something in 2018, without telling each other. There was a tacit pact between us, because there was a lot of rivalry between us at the time.

Paraguay in 2018 created this France group. I think we were, at that time, the best team in France. We were absolutely not the best players in the world, but in spirit, in terms of a team, we were the best. And this alchemy has continued until then.

The victories and these many decisive matches won have necessarily forged this team. This is why we are all friends because there is a very strong bond that has united us all these years.

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.