Kristina Clément: “fell into padel by chance"

Padel Magazine - Fate took you to the padel...

It is obvious that I was not necessarily predestined to embark on the padel.

In 2006, I move from Nice to Aix-en-Provence for work (at the time in Heritage Management) and just before leaving, I agree to be a driver for a Fed Cup event organized in my club. tennis in Cagnes / Mer.

The first person I am looking for is the physio Jerome Bianchi. We sympathize and as he lives in Aix, he logically becomes my physio thereafter.

At the end of 2007, Jérôme told me:“My wife Karin is looking for a partner from Padel, since you have a good level of tennis, why don't you give it a try? and if you like it, the challenge would be to leave next summer with the French team for the worlds in Calgary ”.

I tried at the Set Club in Aix-en-Provence, I hung ... and I left

in Calgary, where we have, against all odds, brought down the best ranking ever: the 4e place! Finally, it's thanks to tennis and a meeting. Thank you Jerome and Karin!

You are a former double player in tennis ...

In team games, I loved playing doubles. My best ranking was 1 / 6 with regular to negative perfs.

It is true that tennis and especially my past in doubles helped me to play padel for the basic shots but then I had to agree to start from 0 to play with the walls.

At the time there was no coach to give me the keys, so I took a few months to tame them.

It also takes a little time to accept that I could not finish each point with my tennis smash ...

When we embark on the padel for a tennis player, you have to be ready to accept certain bases from 0.

Since 2006, you have seen the padel to evolve ?

Yes, because more and more girls are now playing and the majority of them come from tennis with very good rankings (negative, promo).

Necessarily, they bring additional aggressiveness to the game, especially on the fly, which makes the game faster than before. We also see it at the highest level, where the arrival of players like the twins Sanchez Ayaleto and Marta Marrero have transformed the padel with their power from tennis.

You're also trying to evolve your game now

I'm trying to organize 1 at 2 good matches a week. From time to time, I organize a basket hour to work the basics. The days when I do not touch the ball, I do a little physics (sheathing, plyometrics exercises, coordination, etc ...).

Otherwise, at the end of February, I was able to train for 3 days in Barcelona with Pablo Crosetti, the trainer of the young phenomenon Agustin Tapia. At the end of April I am leaving for a week near Alicante as a coach to supervise a group of Swedish people and I will also have time to train during this week with my friend Antonette Andersson, the Swedish N ° 1 of padel.

What do you like best about padel

I like the attacks coming out of the wall (from the smash to the chiquita) and the shots over the head on the fly in all its forms. There is not really a shot that I do not like ... I also like being at the bottom and defend with the walls with the challenge to take the net to the opponent!

For these French championships of padel, who will you play with?

This year, my partner will be Alexia Dechaume, a former very great tennis and doubles player who today loves to take her tennis racket. padel.

Your blow of mouth

See the amazing game level of girls on the World Padel Tour and the incredible spectacle they give us in every event. All the involvement, the training that this requires, both physically and on the court for these girls… and knowing that they receive 4 times less prize money than the men… it's unacceptable!

I hope the World Padel Tour will quickly settle on what is done in tennis: men and women equal.

Interview by Franck Binisti