Ludovic Cancel gave an interview to Padel Magazine during which he looked back on his beginnings in padel, his various partners, the support of his family and his future ambitions.

Do tennis players become good padel players?

I fall into this category. I was a good tennis player, I went up to 0. After all, it's relative, but normally it's pretty good. In any case it helps for the beginnings, to hit the ball. Then there are the strokes specific to padel.

In tennis, I was a bit at the end, I have a friend who made me try padel, I loved it. At first, I didn't play much, but then, I got into the game. I was in Toulouse at the time, at Toulouse Padel Club. I started padel five years ago now I think.

Dedicate yourself exclusively to padel

As for the prospect of really dedicating myself to padel, it happened quite quickly. I was lucky enough to meet Yannick Servat who was my first partner and we had about the same level, he was even a bit better at the beginning. We progressed together at the beginning, and I would say that it happened after about five months of padel for me.

And then, a few months after our first tournament, as a result of'a defeat against Roumy and Lagrange, I started to train a lot more with this desire to progress.

It's hard when it only affects you and with the partner you can't find solutions, but that's part of the sport too. I did this because I loved the sport too and I love training for this sport, I enjoy it when I train.

Finding the ideal partner, the obstacle course?

There are partners who receive proposals from other partners, so they change teammates… which means that after us, we also have to find other players. This is why I did the first FIPs with Julien Seurin.

Ludovic Cancel Julien Seurin FIP

But since he had other proposals, he preferred to play with other players. With Benjamin Grué, we were both looking for a partner so it happened naturally.

Back with Benjamin Grué

We played two years with Benjamin. In the end, it was more on his side that it went badly because I still wanted us to continue together. He blamed me for a lot of things, like the fact that I didn't train enough.

He dropped everything on me all of a sudden. For example, he could have told me that sometimes I don't get to the net fast enough... Let's say that he focused more on me than on himself and his padel, perhaps wanting to do too much, and so afterwards things went a little less well on the court and off it. We preferred to stop. But then time passed, he also had a hard time the following year with the partners, which made him become a better partner. We talked about it again after about a year, so it's in the past now.

I had played with Matthieu Armagnac before Benjamin, but a little less because of the Covid. During this period, I had also played a little with Benjamin who was not very free because he still had his job as a tennis teacher.

My longest relationship in padel is with Benjamin. We both evolved in padel, him and I as best partners.

On the track, during the match we played at Burriana, I think we played well. Things felt pretty natural, even when we first practiced. With Benjamin, we still have complementary games on the pitch.

The end of the Cancel / Seurin association

The association with Julien is over, but that doesn't mean we won't play together again. But Julien is currently in a race for points, so he is more in the perspective of waiting for the last moment on the FIPs to wait for the best proposal. If we can do a FIP together, maybe it will happen, in any case the deal to do all the tournaments since the beginning of the year is no longer there.

And so me, partner level, it will turn. So there, I did a tournament with Benjamin, I'm also doing the P2000 with Benjamin who was originally supposed to play with Philémon Raichman who has the same perspective as Julien.

So we were both alone for the P2000, and it's still my club's P2000 so I want to be competitive.

Afterwards, I also want to move to the right because I think I can be much more competitive in big tournaments like the FIPs. On the left, I find that I sometimes lack power, explosiveness. I'm a good left player, especially in the winter, but in the summer sometimes there are players who hit a lot harder and I find that I'm fishing a bit. And moving to the right makes me think I would be a pretty aggressive player, good in the winter and maybe also good in the summer.

With Benjamin for the moment we only talked up to the P2000 so I keep in my head this desire to test myself on the right.

I did two tournaments with Thomas Vanbauce this year, and I had fun on the right. I found myself rather competitive even in the second tournament we won, a P1000. For the French Championships, I will be playing with Matthieu Armagnac.

France championship ? FIP Rise? Both ?

I am always on the right, on the left. I do the French circuit, the international. Internationally, I will do a lot more from July, there for two months (May-June) I will be blocked because of work. It's complicated because I'm a college teacher and I can't miss class.

But from July, I have school holidays and next week, I'm 50% at work, that's why I'm going to be able to do FIPs, so the French circuit, I'm going to put a little aside from July, even if it means losing a few places in the standings. It's not dramatic either!

But I'm not staying in this points race. I prefer to tell myself that I really play for my pleasure, I want to find a player with whom I feel really good on the pitch, with whom I can have fun. Of course, I can be competitive. I tell myself that the points will come.

But you still have to find someone who also has a minimum of points, it's more valuable to be seeded or at least get into the table. But I sometimes prefer to play with a guy who would have fewer points, but with whom I would be more competitive.

For the moment, I want to have fun, challenge better players, gain experience and continue to progress!

New challenge objectives with padel

What I like about padel is that I can challenge myself even more. I also like the fact that it's a pair of players, it's still cool, I couldn't stand travelling alone in tennis anymore.

I like the fact that padel tournaments are shorter. The fact, especially when you start at the beginning, of losing, of chaining matches... it's faster. While tennis tournaments, you play a game one night, you have to come back another night, it eats you several nights.

I think that for people who have couples and families, padel is still more fun because it takes less time.

Ambitions internationally and in France

Team France, obviously that I would like. It would make me very happy, but for the moment, I am one of the second best. And he's got a few secondhands like me who are a bit younger, so will normally be a bit privileged, so I'm breaking away from that.

Obviously, it would be a huge pleasure and a huge pride to represent France, but it is the choice of the coach.

Concerning the international, I have not yet given myself a ranking objective, especially since in addition things will change a lot in this FIP ranking since there are more and more players on this ranking.

And you have to go into the Premier Padel in which you stuff yourself with points, otherwise it's difficult. So I don't have too many ranking goals. I just want to make good matches and win, the ranking, it will come later.

The financial aspect

For the moment, I have Oxdog which helps me, but afterwards, I am still looking for sponsors. Otherwise for the moment, it's Bernard Cancel, my father (laughs) who made me a transfer which I don't touch. He really wants to help me with this project.

It's also a family project because my parents, they got into it a bit with all these videos Padel Magazine (laughs). They watch the games all the time and they're starting to get really good. They do their little analyzes and are fair!

In tennis, they still followed me well, but even more my brother because he was better, he went up to -15. He continued even more than me, so it's normal ... but today, I have the impression that they enjoy watching me play padel.

Oxdog – the rising brand

Oxdog is a brand that is making a name for itself in the world of padel. I was looking for a brand with quality products. We can say that I am served. The brand is young and yet it has everything to become a great one.

I play with the Ultimate Pro. It is a racquet that is not too excessive, well balanced and which will correspond to players whose game is not necessarily based on a big smash. In defense, we master it perfectly.

I am obviously very happy to be able to be part of this team which already has some great names. Oxdog will be an essential brand. I am convinced of it.

A considerable evolution

Where I have evolved the most is in defense. At the beginning when I started padel, I only had a plan A. When I was in defense, I lobbed and rushed to the net. So, I had good reflexes.

Now, I prefer to stay at the bottom and I even find myself a little lost on this thing of lobbing and coming to block, which I do less of a sudden. I still consider myself a pretty good defender, I'm quite versatile.

Ludo Cancel forehand Oxdog 2023

Glass, the padel player's friend

What I tell tennis people is that they have to keep in mind that the glass is their friend. So s''hes have to play a ball that will be easier to hit after the glass, they must let it pass.

Of course if they can take it live in good conditions, they have to do it because they will take time on their opponents.

The ideal partner?

I started playing padel on the right, I played on the right for a year and a half at the beginning. I'm a bit more of a left-handed player, the force of things has meant that I've played a lot with left-handers recently. With Benjamin I played on the left, so it's true that I've played more on the left in recent years.

What I'm looking for, obviously, is a player who is solid in defense, solid in attack, who spikes very hard. If I'm looking for a player on the left, he already has to have a good smash.

Me when I play, I like to touch smashes, I find that I am still efficient, and then a good defense because it has to be quite structured, that we can defend with two.

What is needed above all is that we feel good both outside and on the field, that we have a level that is relatively equivalent so that neither of them feels wronged in terms of balls touched .

Eleonore Coulibaly

What a pleasure to be a journalist in the padel world, an attractive sport in full expansion. I hope you enjoy the content offered. See you soon on the slopes!

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