This question is often asked, and the facts seem to support this. In France, a large majority of the best players in paddle have a past of tennis players of a good, even very good level. This natural transition is a reality, although success in padel is not guaranteed solely by a successful tennis career.

When for his P2000 of Spirit Padel In Lyon, Alizé Cornet, still very involved in tennis despite her international retirement, demonstrated remarkable qualities on the track. Alongside Vinciane Remy, she honored her wild card by winning in the first round against Mathilde Mattei / Alicia Keppenne (6/1 6/1) before pushing the number 2 seed, Melanie Ros / Deborah Alquier, in three sets (3/6 6/2 6/2). However, Alizé Cornet claims not to train specifically for padel and focus on tennis.

If, with so little training, she manages to compete with experienced players, what would happen if she decided to fully invest herself in this discipline? A parallel can be drawn with Jules Mary, a former professional tennis player, who recently announced that he wants to devote himself 100% to paddle, with the aim of integrating the french top 10.

He himself hasn't ruled out a future selection for the French national team. This ambition may seem audacious, but his technical and physical skills could allow him to surprise. Unlike the women's team, the competition is much tougher in the men's competition, making the climb more difficult.

La French Tennis Federation should she support these former tennis players in their reconversion to padel? wild card offered to Alizé Cornet has proven its worth, despite some criticism. From a sporting perspective, it helped avoid too much imbalance during the group stages and also contributed to the tournament's popularity.

No more tennis, make way for padel! Jules Marie wants to reach the top 10 in France

As for Jules Mary, a wild card en P2000 could be considered if he continues to invest fully in padel. His rise will be closely monitored in the coming months.

Eric Largeron on Facebook:
“PADEL WITH OR WITHOUT TENNIS? Back to business with the P2000 at Esprit Padel. Apart from Bastien (Blanqué) and Fiona (Ligi), the very best were very good at tennis. Will it be the same for Alizé Cornet? I already noticed the professionalism in her respectful response to the invitation. It's worth seeing her first round, even if it feels more like a simple opportunity to have fun at her brother's, the owner of the structure. That's why I'll also be following the project of Jules Marie, fresh out of tennis troubles, who is aiming for a top 100 and then a top 10 in padel. We feel that it's not about taking advantage of the tricks of accumulating points, but a real level objective. We'll see... A very interesting and undecided weekend."

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.

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