Matthieu Armagnac: “Padel Touch beat the odds”

Le Oenology padel / coach of Padel Touch Arcachon, Matthew Armagnac returns to the poker move attempted during of the French Interclub Championships, but also on his personal journey which could have ended a long time ago…

The fear of never doing sports again

Matthieu Armagnac: “I have been passionate about sport since a young age, having always chased a ball, a balloon or a personal best. I was very active in national tennis competitions, reaching a ranking of 3/6 quite young. Then, I focused my career towards studies, leading to a Master 2 in Sports Management. At 25 years, a serious hip injury kept me away from the field, making me fear that one day I would never be able to run again. Fortunately, after surgery, I was able to return to the sport and spent 10 years teaching tennis.”

The adventure of padel as well as Padel touch

Matthieu Armagnac: “My meeting with the padel in 2017 was immediate and captivating, attracting me with its playful side and tactical finesse. In 2019, Pierre and Arnaud Loubic invited me to join forces with them to launch a club padel on the Arcachon Basin. I saw it as an ideal opportunity to leave my comfort zone and devote myself entirely to my passion.”

3rd and then 2nd in Nationale 1 for Padel touch

Matthieu Armagnac: “In the first edition of the French club championships, we formed a united team with players like Mitjana, Mannarino, Cancel, Perez, Guichard and Gravejat. After an impressive run, we finished third. Shortly after, I had to deal with the departure of four key players, which prompted me to rebuild the team with players such as Luis Hernandez (69th in the WPT ranking), Jérôme Inzerillo, Léo Perez, Romain Coirault (highest ranked in +45 years in France), Alexandre Boilevin and Anthony Gravejat, besides myself of course. Our team, as seeded 5, knew how to beat the odds and reach the final thanks to incredible support from our supporters and an impeccable state of mind.”

The poker move in the final

Matthieu Armagnac: “During the final, I attempted a strategic change in our team composition. Although it didn't work in the first match despite three set points, I don't regret this decision, it was an attempt to turn the tide. It’s a shame that the decisive match with Hernandez/Inzerillo against Zapata/Bergeron did not take place, it would have been the apotheosis of this competitive weekend!”

A 3rd edition with a revised team

Matthieu Armagnac: “We are already preparing for the third edition of Nationale 1 in February 2024. The composition of our team is evolving with returns, departures and, I hope, some new features. I am currently in the middle of negotiations. I know that the opposing clubs are getting organized. Despite increasing competition, our objective remains unchanged: Padel Touch will fight hard at every point.”

A successful year 2023 and ambition

Matthew Armagnac : “This year has been a personal success, marking my 40th birthday with a 21st place in France, a regional champion title in New Aquitaine and strong performances in national tournaments: in the semi-final of the 7 p1000 played, good results on all the p2000 and p1500 of the year and captain/player of the French interclub vice-champion team.

As for the French team, I am considering it with an eye on the Seniors+ category. With a constant ranking in the French top 25 and potentially 19th at the beginning of January, I position myself as the highest ranked in over 40 years. With Morgan Mannarino, we hope to continue to challenge the new generation. Our experience as a team is valuable, and having won the bronze medal at the European Championships with the French Seniors+ team, I aspire to participate in the Seniors+ World Championships in 2024 as a player and coach. "

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.