Return on the live interview on Instagram of Michaël Kuzaj, agent, trainer, entrepreneur (co-founder of Twenty By Ten), and player of padel.

Here is a summary of the live Podcast of the FACE-à-FACE program produced on April 15, 2020 at 18 p.m. on the Instagram page.

  • On containment

I spend confinement in Cannes at home, in an apartment, I am used to working in telework so that does not change me too much. And I do sports every day with my “roommate”, I have never done so much sport.

  • On his journey and his meeting with the padel

I have been a tennis player since I was little, I went up to 2/6. I also played in the United States, in Indiana, in college. In 2013, I found a job offer in Real Padel, I didn't even know what it was. I tried the adventure, in Sophia-Antipolis, I got hooked right away, and Robin Haziza and Jérémy Ritz were kind enough to hire me, and I gradually abandoned the tennis racket in favor of from that of padel. I really liked the friendly side of the padel.

  • On the Real adventure Padel Club

I helped Robin and Jérémy to do everything there was to do at Real Padel Club: giving lessons of course, but also events, planchas etc. After two years, after meeting Alizée I decided to stop, I traveled a lot on the circuit, then I created, Padel connection.

  • Public chat Padel Connection

It is a service company for clubs of padel : teacher training, websites, reservation software etc. It fills the legal void concerning training in padel since today we cannot rely solely on the FFT for training. The day the Federation launches its own diploma, we will reflect on the future of Padel connection.

  • On his player agent cap

My real job for 3 years is being an agent for tennis players. No players yet padel because the market is currently too small (I think it only concerns the World Top 10-15). I started to be Alizée's agent, then Mihaela Buzarnescu, and Thomas Laurent. 3 days is enough for me, I prefer to do quality rather than quantity.

  • On the creation of Twenty by Ten

Twenty by Ten (in reference to the dimensions of the padel 20 × 10) it's an adventure that started last summer, with Alex Corté, with whom I worked at the Mouratoglou tennis academy. We passed that there was a playing card in the textile market padel. So we launched this brand of fun, quirky, and eco-responsible t-shirts. The online store is functioning and deliveries are assured even during this period.

  • On the eco-responsible aspect of Twenty by Ten

We want to reduce the carbon footprint: textiles are a very important issue at this level. We make short circuits (t-shirts printed in Nice), and select noble materials (untreated organic cotton), recycled polyester. We want to go as far as possible in this process.

  • His opinion on the cancellations of all FFT events

With the current situation it was not possible to carry out the departmental and regional phases of the French Championships. For me, the only alternative way to organize it, it might have been to take the best in the ranking of each region. It must remain by regions, otherwise it is no longer a French championship, it is a P2000…

  • On the future of teaching padel

There is a site that is currently being done at this level. What I would like is that we take inspiration from what is done in Spain. We must be humble and draw inspiration from the best in this area. I would very much like to see Spanish teachers intervening in clubs. I would like the FFT to authorize these Spaniards who do not have a French diploma to teach in France.

  • On the fact that a lot of padel come from tennis

Very good tennis players find it easy when they start at padel. But this was certainly also the case in Spain when the padel started to become popular. I don't think the majority of the best players in the world today come from tennis.

 

Find the + / the part with Alizée Cornet / the answers to the questions / the INSIDE in the podcast here: https://youtu.be/Nz2o27qMm4E

Xan is a fan of padel. But also rugby! And his posts are just as punchy. Physical trainer of several padel, he unearths atypical posts or deals with topical subjects. It also gives you some tips to develop your physique for the padel. Clearly, he imposes his offensive style as on the field of padel !

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