Before being one of the best French players in padel, Robin Haziza was above all one of the keys to the development of padel in France. In 2012/2013, he launched Real Padel Club with Jérémy Ritz in Sophia Antipolis. Then, a few years later, he became the first French to attempt the adventure on the professional circuit of padel. We know the rest ... Others have followed suit. Focus on one of the major players in padel French.

  • Before talking about the future, can we make a return on everything you did

I was first a former negative tennis player. Then I convert to padel. I have been champions of France 7 times including two under the FFT era in 2015 and 2016 with Jérémy Scatena. I was also European champion in 2015 with the France team. Girl captain the same year we finished 2nd and boy captain with less success.

And finally creator of Real Padel club in 2012 in Sophia Antipolis where at the time put 4 pitches of padel was unique in France. Jérémy Ritz and I were pioneers. At the time, no one imagined being able to fill land and even less make a profession of it… We have known the development since then.

  • But where did this passion for this sport come from?

After quitting tennis, I discovered the padel the same day as Jérémy thanks to our friend Nallé Grinda, Laurent Bensadoun was also present. This gave rise to good bets and a lot of crushing defeats against Nallé who was much stronger than us… We can thank him for having spent a lot of time with us at the time when there were no pitches, neither club in France.

  • You finally moved quickly ...

Yes, tennis can help. And that was my case. I have been -2 / 6 at 20 years old. I quickly stopped to become a coach.

Apart from the fact that a tennis player has more skills to play padel, without tennis I would not have met Nallé who was part of the same team at Nice LTC as me.

Tennis has been for me the starting point of many things ...

  • We can say that now the padel is finally launched

I can only be happy about global development in France and abroad.

I believed and invested money. Not to mention all my time from 2012 in the creation of my club.

Happy that others have followed suit.

  • Is it harder today to be part of the French top

From a sporting point of view, players progress much faster than us at the time.

Tournaments, emulation between players, the arrival of Spanish at home allow "new" players to understand the game much faster than us.

At the time, we struggled to organize a tournament of 8 pairs in France which was limited to a rivalry Toulouse VS Côte d'Azur.

Today, the padel is growing in all regions. There are now a lot of good pairs in the north. Johan (Bergeron), Ben (Tison) and Adrien (Maigret) are the perfect example, but many more are on the way.

So, to be part of the French top is obviously much more complicated.

  • You already have the experience of padel international. We have already moved you like never before in certain international events ...

Be part of the Team France: these are the best memories.

Ask Mathieu Lapouge in Portugal, those who knew Cancun ... It's a group, it's emotion ...

I cried after our defeat against Italy at the last European championship in Lisbon.

It is to say the desire and the energy that we put there.

  • To be part of it, it becomes very very complicated ...

A selection is deserved and the common interest must prevail for us players.

Today it is structured and so much better. The competition is getting tough and that's what it takes ...

We have a dozen very competitive pairs that regularly found on the French circuit and this is what creates an emulation and pulls everyone up.

To be disappointed not to be selected is to increase everyone's motivation to join next time. I am for a France team the strongest possible!

  • We remember last year, you no longer played with Jérémy Scatena, you did not participate in the French championships of padel… Now this is old business?

As for my association with Scat, we felt the need to cut after hitting our first balls of padel together until the title in 2016… It was a beautiful love story… We learned during this year one without the other.

Today we put the cover and I feel stronger. Some will say we never do anything new with old, I say that it is in the oldest pots that we make the best jams ...

Answers on upcoming French and Spanish tournaments.

  • Are you still invested in Spain?

I train every day with Juan Alday and his group.

Scat joins us 1 once a week which is good for complicity and tactical work

  • What do you like most about padel ?

I like to be clairvoyant in the field. The padel is a very tactical sport. I love the feeling of seeing the game and hurting my opponents… Unfortunately the opponent is also there to pose a problem, that's what I like the most: this game of chess.

  • A little hangover?

The game of musical chairs to choose his region in which we will play to qualify for the championship of France disturbs me a little ... but hey I participate in the game since for now the device set up is ideal for anyone.

I would like us to find another solution to avoid this and that we rely more on the French circuit which is developing very well, imagining for example a final Master rewarding the best pairs on a big event.

I understand the idea of ​​involving all regions in France and promoting the padel but today everywhere in France there are tournaments all year round where regions can largely develop without counting circuits like the My padel turn, the head padel open and the national Padel Cup

All tournaments from P100 to P1000 perfectly promote the sport and give everyone access to play. padel...

I think that a Masters on the ATP tennis model would please me much more. This Master would reward all those who are invested all the year and who have obtained good results.

With this type of method, a pair that has made 2 tournaments can qualify in its region, is this normal?

  • Finally, an anecdote, a wish?

Not an anecdote but a wish: Beat the 50 Argentinian Italians at the next World Championships ... And of course be on the field to enjoy this moment with Team France!

Interview by Franck Binisti

Franck Binisti

Franck Binisti discovers the padel at the Club des Pyramides in 2009 in the Paris region. Since padel is part of his life. You often see him touring France going to cover the major events of padel French.

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