Paris Major: Guichard, Leygue, Blanqué, Bergeron… the puzzle of French wild cards

The FFT is expected to unveil the following early next week: wild cards for the Paris Major 2026 For men, four invitations are to be distributed: three for the main draw and one for the qualifying rounds .

On paper, the equation seems simple. It is much less so when one looks at the situation of the French. Dylan Guichard and Thomas Leygue are already in the qualifying rounds , while an impressive density of tricolors appears on the waiting list.

The FFT will therefore have to choose between several approaches: directly bringing its best players into the main draw, rewarding pairs that have already proven their worth, preparing for the future or trying to use the four invitations to allow as many French people as possible to participate in the Major.

And contrary to what one might think, Bringing French players onto the waiting list doesn't always mean giving them a sporting gift. .

Due to an error by FIP, please note that Olivier Guy de Chamisso is indeed playing with Manuel Vives. Yanis Muesser is playing with Arthur Hugounenq. The update can be found here. HERE]. .

Three wild cards in the main draw, one in qualifying

The official list of the Paris Major already sets the framework.

The main men's reserve table three wild-card spots , at positions 42, 43 and 44. A fourth invitation is planned to complete the 16 pairs from the qualifiers .

Entry-list-Paris-Major-M-v4 Download

Two seats Special Exempt (SE) They also appear in the main table. They are intended, according to the regulations Premier PadelThis applies to pairs who are unable to compete in the qualifiers because they are still involved in the later rounds of an eligible tournament the previous week. Their potential use could therefore also affect the final composition of the lists.

This is an additional reason to remain cautious: at this stage, we can identify the French candidates and the possible scenarios, but not state precisely which pair will automatically rise in the event of a move.

Guichard and Leygue: already in the qualifying rounds… but contenders for the main draw

Two French players do not need an invitation to be certain of participating in the tournament.

Dylan Guichard , partnered with Belgian Clément Geens, currently constitutes the 4th pair in the qualifiers (ts4 of the previas).

Thomas Leygue , partnered with Spaniard Jesús Moya, is also directly admitted to the qualifiers, with the 8nd pair (ts8 of the previas).

However, it is difficult not to consider them as two very serious candidates for the three wild cards in the main draw.

Guichard has been a fixture on the international circuit for several seasons and is one of the top French players today. He is also part of the French team selected for the 2026 Mediterranean Games, alongside Bastien Blanqué, Timéo Fonteny, and Yoan Boronad.

Leygue, however, holds a special status. A long-time French number one, he's making a strong comeback after his injury. His partner, Jesús Moya, is internationally renowned, and the pair are already in the top half of the qualifying draw.

From a sporting perspective, an invitation to the main draw is therefore perfectly justifiable in both cases.

But is this necessarily the best possible use of two wild cards?

Letting them play in the qualifiers: a gamble that could pay off.

This is where the real debate begins.

Guichard and Leygue are already guaranteed to be at Roland-Garros , at a minimum in qualifications.

The FFT could therefore decide not to use two of its three valuable wildcards into the main draw for players already in the tournament and instead look to the waiting list. Especially since they might have the opportunity to enter the main draw directly, with the added bonus of ranking points.

Finally, this choice would not mean sacrificing the sporting level to artificially inflate the number of French people.

Because there are people behind it.

A lot of people.

Fonteny, Seurin, Bergeron, Boronad, Robert, Joris, Blanqué…

The male waiting list is particularly interesting.

The first pair including a Frenchman is Timéo Fonteny / Nacho Moragues , currently 11th on this list.

Then come, in particular:

Julien Seurin / Johan Bergeron , 17th;

Yoan Boronad / Jérémy Robert , 20th;

Maxime Joris / Bastien Blanqué 21st.

And it would be very simplistic to consider these players as mere fallback solutions.

Fonteny and Boronad: two players already called up to the French national team

Timéo Fonteny and Yoan Boronad They obviously represent part of the future of French padel, but they are no longer just prospects.

The French junior champions had received together a wild-card entry into the main draw of the Paris Major 2025 .

A year later, they have changed dimensions again.

Both were selected by Pablo Ayma to represent France at the Mediterranean Games 2026 , with Guichard and Blanqué.

Inviting them this year would therefore not simply be about "giving young people a chance". They are now players who are genuinely part of the plans for the senior French national team .

Boronad is this time associated with Jeremy Robert , another young Frenchman who is progressing on the international circuit.

Fonteny plays with the Spaniard Nacho Moragues .

Two different projects, but two applications that have a genuine sporting logic.

Blanqué and Bergeron: pillars of the French team

Alongside the young players are those whose French CV speaks for itself.

Bastien Blanqué and Johan Bergeron They were two pillars of the French team for years.

They were both still in the French selection for the 2025 European Championships, alongside players such as Guichard, Fonteny, Joris and Boronad.

Blanqué has again been selected for the 2026 Mediterranean Games.

And above all, Roland-Garros is not unfamiliar to them.

In 2025, Blanqué/Bergeron had received one of the three wild cards in the main draw of the Paris Major.

One year earlier, in 2024, they had already been invited into the main draw, as had Leygue/Piotto and Guichard/Geens.

Putting Bergeron or Blanqué back in the draw would therefore certainly not offer a place to players without international credentials.

Joris and Seurin, far from being default choices

Same observation for Maxime Joris et Julien Seurin .

Joris was part of the French team selected for the 2025 European Championships. He had also benefited, along with Manuel Vives, from the wild-card for the Paris Major 2025 qualifiers.

Seurin, for his part, has several seasons of international experience and this year forms the pair registered with Bergeron.

And behind them, there are still many French people

The tricolor density does not stop at Fonteny, Seurin, Bergeron, Boronad, Robert, Joris or Blanqué Further down the waiting list, we still find many French people.

Manuel Vives , partnered with Matteo Rosingana, appears in 24th position. Just behind are Olivier Guy de Chamisso / Vasco Pascoal (25th), Yanis Muesser / Samuel Alos (26th), Arthur Hugounenq / Karlos Rodriguez (27th), then Thomas Vanbauce / Afonso Fazendeiro (29th), Nathan Courrin / Noé Navarro (31st) and again Thomas Seux in 32rd position.

Again, these are not simply players brought in to fill out a list. Vives, Muesser, Hugounenq and Vanbauce already have experience on the international circuit while Guy de Chamisso or Courrin are part of this new French generation that seeks to gradually get closer to the highest level.

This allows us, above all, to measure the current depth of French men's padel Even going quite far down the waiting list, we still find French players capable of presenting sporting arguments.

And this is also what will complicate the FFT's choices: with only three wild cards for the main draw and one for the qualifying rounds It will be mathematically impossible to satisfy everyone.

And what about the only wild-card spot in the qualifiers?

She may be the most interesting one to observe.

Because the debate must not stop at the three invitations in the main table.

The FFT also has a wild card for the qualifiers .

And its use will necessarily depend on the first three choices.

If Guichard/Geens or Leygue/Moya receive an invitation to the main draw before the final draws are established, their position in the qualification list will change and movements may occur behind them .

The rule Premier Padel It specifically includes mechanisms for updating the lists when a pair ultimately obtains its place through another method. It also allows for the replacement of a wildcard when the initially chosen pair is finally added to the table based on its ranking.

On the other hand, it would be premature to say today: "Guichard is promoted, therefore Fonteny automatically enters the qualifying rounds". It's not as mechanical , in particular because of the order of the list, possible withdrawals and the two Special Exempt places still present in the main draw.

The World Cup qualifiers could become a real strategic asset.

One thing is certain: the FFT will be able to use this invitation regardless of the hierarchy of the waiting list.

And there is no shortage of French candidates.

Why not Fonteny/Moragues who are currently the best placed among the French waiting list?

Why not Seurin/Bergeron , to prioritize experience?

Why not Boronad/Robert Why invest in a young, future-oriented pair?

Why not Joris/Blanqué with two players who have already proven themselves at the international level?

The choice will also depend on the wild cards given directly in the draw. A pair chosen there will obviously no longer be eligible for the qualifying pair.

The FFT had already prioritized several approaches in 2025

The previous edition also shows that the Federation does not reason solely based on the international ranking.

In 2025, the three men's wildcard invitations to the main draw had been awarded to:

Bastien Blanqué / Johan Bergeron ,

Timéo Fonteny / Yoan Boronad ,

Benjamin Tison / Maxime Forcin .

Et Maxime Joris / Manuel Vives had received the invitation for the qualifiers.

The FFT had therefore mixed experience, French national team, youth and sporting choices .

The Fonteny/Boronad case is particularly revealing: the two youngsters were directly propelled into the main draw while other French players had more international experience.

Should we prioritize 100% French-made pairs?

Another factor could be taken into account.

Guichard plays with the Belgian Geens. Leygue with the Spaniard Moya. Fonteny with the Spaniard Moragues.

Conversely, Seurin/Bergeron, Boronad/Robert and Joris/Blanqué are three 100% French associations .

In terms of national representation, the equation is obvious: a wild-card given to an all-French pair brings in two French players, compared to only one for a Franco-foreign association.

But the history of the Paris Major clearly shows that This is not a rule .

In 2024, the FFT had directly invited Leygue/Piotto et Guichard/Geens in the main table.

The nationality of the partner therefore does not prevent a French person from obtaining an invitation.

A first-world problem for the FFT

This is perhaps the best way to summarize the situation.

There is four male invitations to distribute, but many more credible cases.

Guichard and Leygue can legitimately claim a place in the main draw.

Fonteny and Boronad embody a new generation that is already being called up to the French national team.

Blanqué and Bergeron were pillars of the French national team and know the international level perfectly.

Joris has also worn the French national jersey and has experience on the circuit.

Seurin has been a fixture in international competitions for several seasons.

Robert is one of the up-and-coming young French talents.

Choosing from the waiting list therefore does not mean choosing players who are not up to standard.

That's precisely what makes arbitration so exciting.

The FFT can choose to give Guichard and Leygue the best possible conditions by sending them directly into the main draw.

It may also consider that they already have their place in the qualifiers and use certain invitations to broaden the French representation.

Or try combining the two strategies: bring up one or two French players who have already qualified, use the remaining places on other French projects and intelligently exploit the wild-card from the qualifications depending on the movements of the list.

On paper, no solution is perfect.

But one thing seems certain: For men, the FFT will not have to choose between quantity and quality. It currently has enough competitive players to try to achieve both.

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.