The images had made the rounds on social networks.  Juan Lebrón , during the last  World's Championships , and more recently  Martín Di Nenno  au  Madrid P1 , were accused of unsportsmanlike conduct after balls fell out of their shorts in the middle of the point. Many cried foul, accusing the players of trying to replay the rally.

Yet, upon closer inspection, the reality seems different.

 Shorts… that pose a problem? 

A priori, no. Even if some voices point out that the common point between these two incidents is the brand  Bullpadel At the World Championships, Spain was equipped by Bullpadel, and Lebrón wore the official shorts. For his part, Di Nenno, personally sponsored by the brand, also played in shorts Bullpadel.

With the number of shorts Bullpadel present on the circuit and the very low number of incidents noted, we can speak more of  chance or bad luck If this was truly a recurring problem, it would have been observed much more often.

 The pictures speak for themselves 

Watching the replays closely, it seems as if the ball came out before the players even reached into their pockets. But everything happened so quickly that it's difficult to be certain. The hypothesis of a deliberate gesture therefore remains plausible, especially since these incidents occurred at delicate moments, when both Lebrón and Di Nenno were in difficulty in the exchange. In hindsight, however, it seems possible that they simply wanted to put the ball back in their pockets.

 No sanction from the FIP 

Another element in favor of the two players: no sanction was imposed by the  FIP , neither at the World Championships nor in Madrid. A decision that tends to confirm that there was no intention to cheat. Sometimes, it is simply a combination of circumstances, an unfortunate posture, rather than a material foul or a deliberately unsportsmanlike gesture.

The controversy remains open, but  the theories of unsportsmanlike gesture or material problem or lose credibility. 

Benjamin Dupouy

I discovered padel directly during a tournament, and frankly, I didn't really like it at first. But the second time, it was love at first sight, and since then, I haven't missed a single match. I'm even ready to stay up until 3am to watch a final of Premier Padel !

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