Captain of the French women's team, six-time French champion, tournament organizer such as Bullpadel Show, player agent, coach and key figure in the development of padel in France, Robin Haziza was a guest on TV Monaco. An interesting interview to understand the origins, expansion, and prospects of this booming sport.

From tennis to padel: an almost instinctive change of direction

Robin Haziza discovered padel in the mid-2000s, at the end of his tennis career. "Like many, I was a former tennis player. I discovered padel through friends, notably Nallé Grinda, well-known on the Côte d'Azur, who had a court at his house. I changed rackets to discover this sport in 2005-2006." At that time, padel was still very marginal in France. "It was starting to be played in Toulouse, in the Occitanie region, a little on the Côte d'Azur. But between 2006 and 2008, it was still a real niche."

Despite the sport's confidentiality, Robin quickly joined the French team. "I was lucky enough to go to the European Championship in Seville in 2006. There was already an organization: European Championships, World Championships..."

Tennis: a good background, but not a guarantee

"Tennis helps at the beginning, you find the classic moves: volley, underhand serve, smash... But you have to quickly learn the codes of padel: using the windows, varying the smashes. The tennis player has skills, but it's not a guarantee of winning."

Robin Haziza was quickly drawn to this new sport. "Padel really caught my eye. I was at the end of my tennis career, and I wanted to improve with every match. Today, I play less, but whenever I have a little time, I choose to play a game of padel."

"It's a young industry. For it to be viable, we had to do everything. I lived in Spain, I played on the professional circuit, I met the players in the discipline, and I passed on what I learned."

Why Spain is the benchmark

"Padel was created in Mexico, developed in Argentina, and then the Argentinians brought it to Spain in the 70s and 80s. So they're 20 years ahead of us. There, every city, every holiday club, every residence has a court. People have their rackets in their trunks."

Besides Spain, Italy is booming. France is getting closer. "Scandinavia exploded during Covid, especially Sweden with 1,5 million players. Belgium too. South America remains a stronghold: Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Paraguay, Mexico... In the United States, things are also growing: Florida, Los Angeles. There's even a fashion effect: we saw David Beckham with a racket in his hand."

"In Asia, China and Japan are starting to get involved. Japan is a member of the International Federation and participates in the World Championships. The Middle East is very active: Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Qatar, Kuwait, Israel... The whole world is now playing padel."

Can we catch up with the Hispanic countries?

"It's not easy. We're 15 to 20 years behind. Among the women, Alix Collombon is in the world's top 30, a very good example. Among the men, the competition is fierce. Before we have a Frenchman in the world's top 20, we'll probably have to wait 10 to 15 years. But I hope I'm wrong."

Stars love padel

Haziza cites Totti, Ibrahimovic (who has around fifteen centers in Scandinavia), Beckham, Monfils, but also French figures like Cartman, Amir, and of course Cyril Hanouna. "He talks about it every day. We like it or not, but he talks about padel, and we're happy."

"Going from 100 to nearly 000 practitioners in two years is no accident. Canal+ played a driving role. Social media too, obviously. It's a real game changer."

Padel vs pickleball?

“In the United States, maybe. But in Europe, no. Pickleball is slower, even easier, and very popular with the over-50s. Let's not pit them against each other. The more racket sports there are, the better.”

Wheelchair padel: an impressive spectacle

"The French are European vice-champions and third in the world. In Toulouse, we put on an exhibition featuring the best able-bodied and wheelchair players. It was magnificent. The FFT supports development."

Tennis Federation or Independent?

"In France, we're under the aegis of the French Tennis Federation, one of the strongest in the world. Roland-Garros for padel is exceptional. But obviously, the FFT is primarily focused on tennis. Gilles Moretton and Stéphanie Cohen-Aloro take care of padel, but we can do more and better. In other countries, like Sweden, it's an independent federation."

Robin Haziza's ambitions for padel

"Reach the million players in France. Have clubs everywhere. Make padel as visible as tennis. Why not at Wimbledon or the US Open? And above all: Olympic GamesParis 2024 was too soon. Los Angeles too. But Brisbane 2032? Why not.

Team Padel Mag

I wish the entire Padel Magazine has been trying to offer you the best of padel since 2013, but also surveys and analyses to try to understand the world of padel. From the game to the politics of our sport, Padel Magazine is at your service.

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