Léa Godallier after qualifying for the semi-final in Narbonne: "It would be a dream final against Carla Touly"

Associated with Argentina for the first time Daiara Valenzuela , Léa Godallier continues his journey at FIP Silver Narbonne The Frenchwoman qualified for the semi-finals after a battle lasting more than two hours against Lucia Peralta Exposito et Maria Laura Ferreyra , won in three sets: 4/6 7/6 6/4 .

At the end of the match, the French number 1 reflected on this hard-fought victory, her ambitions for the rest of the tournament and the question of the French team regarding Benjamin Tison.

"There have been many ups and downs."

Léa, tell us about this quarter-final.

There were many ups and downs. We broke early in the first set to lead 3-1, but ultimately lost it 6-4.

Then we managed to win the second set in a tie-break, and then we finished by winning the third set.

Honestly, they played really well. Lucia, especially on the left, had a fantastic match. It was a real battle, and I'm so happy we made it through in our first tournament together with Dai.

"I no longer comment on my future partners."

Is this a long-term project with Daiara Valenzuela?

(Laughs)

Frankly, I'm not going to comment on that anymore.

I feel like I've been asked this question fifty times, and each time the situation changes afterwards. So from now on, I prefer not to announce anything.

Léa Godallier after qualifying for the semi-final in Narbonne: "It would be a dream final against Carla Touly"

"For a new team, reaching the final would be very positive."

You are seeded 2. Is the goal necessarily to reach the final?

Yes, of course.

Points are important, even though I'm completely off base regarding my ranking. I don't even know exactly how many points I have or how many I'm defending.

But tomorrow's victory is especially important for our team. For our first tournament together, reaching the final and beating pairs who have been playing together for a long time would be a very positive achievement.

We're going to do everything we can to reach this final.

"A final against Carla would be amazing."

And why not a final against Carla Touly?

That would be great.

We had already talked about it and I know that Carla is never very far behind in the rankings.

A final against her would be great.

I won the last FIP contested in France and achieving a double victory would obviously be very pleasing.

"In France, I always put a little more pressure on myself."

Does playing at home add extra pressure?

Yes, of course.

When I play in France, I always put a little more pressure on myself because I feel like people expect more from us.

But if the final is against Carla, it will mostly be for fun.

Every time we've faced each other, it's always gone very well. There's a lot of respect between us. The best one always wins.

Honestly, that would be the dream final.

"With Carla, I would play on the left."

And for the future, are you definitively settling on the right?

Yes, today I'm playing on the right.

And if I were to play with Carla in France, I would move to the left.

Benjamin Tison in the French national team? "If we're talking about his level of play, there's no question about it."

At the end of the interview, Léa Godallier was also asked about the situation of Benjamin Tison , semi-finalist in Narbonne after his prestigious victory against Maxi Sanchez et Juan Ignacio Rubini .

Does Benjamin deserve his place in the next French national team training camp?

I think Pablo Ayma has a very complicated task.

Obviously, if we simply look at the results he achieves, particularly recently in Marnes-la-Coquette and here in Narbonne, he deserves his place.

But there are also other players who play very well. Honestly, I wouldn't want to be in Pablo Ayma's or Yann Auradou's shoes.

The real question is which criteria will be given priority.

Benjamin plays few tournaments, trains less than some players who are full-time professionals and travel all over the circuit.

If we are talking about a long-term project, and it is not selected for this reason, I think he will understand and everyone else will understand.

On the other hand, if we are only talking about the current level of play, then for me there is no question to ask.

A tough semi-final ahead
Before hoping for a possible final against Carla Touly, Léa Godallier and Daiara Valenzuela They will first have to overcome a major obstacle. The Franco-Argentine pair will face the Spanish in the semi-finals. Patricia martinez fortun et Claudia Escacena Montero , seeded 3 in the tournament.

The two players qualified by dominating the French team in the quarter-finals. Marie-Amelie Dardaine et Clara Mansart , confirming their status among the favorites in the draw.
A real test awaits Godallier and Valenzuela, who will try to continue their great run in their very first tournament played together and secure a place in the final of the FIP Silver Narbonne 2026 .

Franck Binisti

Franck Binisti discovered padel at the Club des Pyramides in 2009 in the Paris region. Since then, padel has been part of his life. You often see him touring France to cover major French padel events.