The French Alix Collombon disputed the first P1 of the season in Saudi Arabia with an elimination in the 8th finals. Currently 30th in the world, she is aiming for the world top 20 and seeks to improve its offensive play.

In the round of 1 of Riyadh PXNUMX, Alix Collombon and his Spanish partner Araceli Martinez, could do nothing against the world's leading pair, Ari Sánchez/Paula Josemaría. They lost in two sets: 6/1 6/0. “Araceli had been sick for a few days, she wasn’t doing very well, but she wanted to play until the end,” she assures. After eight years on the professional circuitl, what is missing compared to the cream of the crop? women's padel ? “In this kind of match, the best players in the world manage key moments better, they are sharper and tactically flawless.”

Playing conditions in Saudi Arabia have improved significantly

This was the second edition of the P1 scheduled in Saudi Arabia, according to Alix Collombon, the playing conditions have improved greatly “The courts were really good quality. Last year, the boys had complained about the bounce of the balls. The courts had been built on concrete, so with a smash, added to the heat, the balls bounced way too high,” she notes. Côté celebrity, With the football stars who joined the Saudi Arabian championship, Alix Collombon notably crossed paths with Cristiano Ronaldo in the stands: “It was cool to see him attending the games.”

Unlike the circuit Premier Padel, the playing conditions of the FIP tournaments are not always there: “Apart from the Platinum category, most FIPs are not great,” she comments.
Alix Collombon et Araceli Martinez are participating in the FIP Gold in Paredes, Portugal, from February 17 to 23. They will continue with the P2 of Gijón, in Spain, from February 24 to March 2. For this second tournament of the Premier Padel, the top 100 men boycotted the event in order to denounce the new circuit guidelines. On the other hand, among girls, the protest movement did not extend.

A historic boycott for the Premier Padel Gijón P2: NO TOP 100!

The mental aspect integrated for many years

For example, some players may have to go through qualifications instead of directly integrating the final table with these new regulations. And the points earned in the qualifying phase have been reduced as well as the prize money. “Promoters are losing too much money, so they want to reduce the number of players who participate in tournaments. This allows them to reduce the costs of organization. Especially since the players were notified in January 2025, at the start of the new season,” she says. For the moment, the French does not intend to protest.

For 2025, Alix Collombon would like to get closer to the world top 20, as she was able to do in 2021. “The women's circuit is tough with an increasingly homogeneous level. In any case, in terms of my game, I have taken a step forward in my offensive game, me who is a right-hand player”. She is accompanied by her coach Juan Alday since its entry into the pro world padel. But also by a mental trainer: “In padel, the mental aspect has been highlighted for a very long time.”

Henri Pasquet

Passionate about football and tennis, I have been playing ping-pong for three years. More recently, I discovered padel and what a thrill! Basketball, rugby, golf and rally: more new sports that I follow regularly. Otherwise on the cultural side, since I love giving my opinion, I write reviews of films and video games.

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