Laura Clergue is not only a champion of padel, but it is also a fighter. She wants to give herself the means to go as far as possible. The double champion of France in 2015 and 2016 with her partner Audrey Casanova goes to try her luck at the World Padel Tour.

Laura, did you expect to go so fast in the middle of the padel ?

Everything is going very fast for me indeed. I discovered the padel in 2014. Moreover, it was also partly with you, in Manosque (editor's note. during the inauguration of the Club de Padel de Manosque - Henri Leconte). I necessarily think of my training at the Set Club d'Aix. The padel, it's a thunderbolt. Thanks to my tennis background, I was able to quickly acquire some good basics. I was helped by my professional entourage padel.

A year later, you became champion of France ...

It is true that it is quite incredible. With Audrey, we managed to become 2 times French champions of padel in 2015 and this year. While I don't play padel than since 2014. Everything is going incredibly fast and so much the better!

And now to assault the World Padel Tour...

A new adventure for me. I put work aside to devote myself 100% to padel. I'm going to go to Madrid, the heart of padel professional. Great players from padel come from Madrid. I'm going to train at the Sport Center Manolo Santana. The best coaches are in Spain. And mine will be Gaby Reca, the former world champion of padel. We couldn't ask for more.

 You have ambitions from this first year?

Le World Padel Tour, it's not simple. Before going far, you have to go through stages. And these are far from easy. As in tennis, you need to get points to participate in professional stages of padel. And then you have to pass the qualifications before possibly entering the main draw. In short, the road is long.

But yes, I am a competitor. I know it's possible to do something. So I go to it thoroughly.

We see the World Padel Tour flirt with foreigners to bring them to the pro circuit. A good thing ?

For now what I see is the difficulty of preparing before the World Padel Tour.

Everything is played in Spain or almost. So, if there are some facilities, we will not say no. But in the end, the field will prevail as always.

You are the first French to try the professional adventure.

I think I won't be the only one. But we are talking about Spain. It's right next to France. We go to play padel. Yes, the adventure is going to be great and we will do everything to go as far as possible, but I am very confident about my adaptation in Spain.

I think that being the only foreigner in this very Spanish or Argentinian environment will be a good thing for me. I know the community of padel professional is delighted to see this sport become international.

Soon other French will follow suit?

I hope so. In any case, I hope that my adventure in Spain will allow others to come on the professional circuit.

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.

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