Black weekend for Rennes  Dylan Guichard , marked by a disillusionment which risks weighing heavily on his season. The 4th French player internationally (currently 134th in the world), member of the French team during the last World Cup and one of the most active on the  FIP Tour , was the favorite to win one of the four  wild cards  of the Paris Major. However, against all expectations, he ultimately did not obtain this precious sesame.

A profile that ticked all the boxes

Guichard seemed to meet all the criteria: a young player of 25 years old, left-handed, talented, regularly present on the international circuit, and even 3rd Frenchman in the ranking if we remove  Thomas Leygue , currently injured. With his partner  Giulio Graziotti  (123rd in the world), Italian promised to a national selection next October, the Franco-Italian pair occupied the  6th place on the waiting list , well ahead of the other French pairs waiting.

Neither a wild card for the main draw, nor even for the qualifications: the decision raises questions. For the former world number 118, the arguments nevertheless seemed solid, especially after an encouraging performance at the  Madrid P1 , where the duo came close to a performance against the number 4 seed in the qualifiers. Was he already aware of this non-allocation before his match against  Alonso Rodriguez Martínez / Juan Ignacio Rubini  ? The question is asked.

A selection that is always delicate

Obviously, all the players present at Roland Garros have earned their place. As we know, in the men's event, competition is particularly fierce. It should be remembered that the allocation of wild cards remains a decision.  highly subjective , depending on numerous criteria, sometimes objective (ranking, results), sometimes more strategic.

In Guichard's case, certain elements can explain this choice:

  • A last World Cup where his level was not totally convincing.
  • A difficulty in standing out sustainably from other French people close to him in the ranking.
  • Sometimes some irregularity on the circuit.

Despite everything, the Franco-Italian pair was  6th on the waiting list , eight lengths behind  Blanqué / Bergeron , but also eight lengths ahead of the first 100% French pair made up of  Julien Seurin / Philemon Raichman .

Precedents and federal logic

The comparison with last year is striking: at the time, Guichard had won a wild card with  Clement Geens  (then ranked 102nd in the world). With such a ranking this season, the pair would have automatically entered the qualifiers. But history repeats itself: we remember the case  Manu Vives / Eneko Arija , respectively 146th and 207th worldwide, 7th pair on the waiting list, but deprived of a wild card despite their favorable position.

The sequel was happy for Vives, called up to the French team a few months later. A sign that the  FFT  et  Pablo Ayma , national coach, clearly favor pairs  100% French  when it comes to awarding wild cards.

What's Next ?

For Dylan Guichard, nothing is lost: the race for the French team for the  European Championships  is still open. If we follow last year's precedent, the selection could be revealed before the start of the Paris Major next Monday.

But with “ifs”… we know the adage. One thing remains certain: thanks to the wild cards, the public will be treated to a  French contingent provided  for this 4th edition of the Paris Major at Roland-Garros.

Franck Binisti

Franck Binisti discovered padel at the Club des Pyramides in 2009 in the Paris region. Since then, padel has been part of his life. You often see him touring France to cover major French padel events.

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