Before diving into the deep end of  Paris Major 2025 ,  Ariana Sánchez  et  Paula Josemaría , current world number 2, spoke frankly about their current form, the rise of their rivals, the international development of the  paddle , the importance of the Roland-Garros tournament and the exceptional longevity of their duo.

"Our level may not be at its peak, but our rivals are very strong."

 Question:  We're seeing more and more pairs capable of winning tournaments. Is this because your level has declined or because your rivals have improved?

 Paula  Jose Maria  :  "I think it's a bit of both. Our level may not be the best right now, but we're hanging in there, as we have been in the past. At the same time, the other pairs are playing at a very high level. So it's a combination of both factors."

“Padel must become international”

 Question:  Padel remains dominated by the Spanish and Argentinian players, but we're seeing growth in many countries, including France. How do you see this development?

 Paula Josemaría:  "Yes, even today padel is dominated by the Spanish and the Argentinians, but there are more and more players from other countries who are rising in the rankings. In France, for example, we have  Alix (Collombon) ,  Léa (Godallier)  and many other players who are progressing. It is essential that this movement continues if we want padel to one day become  Olympic The French Federation is doing a good job, but it will take time. The important thing is that the flags of many countries are represented in the tables.

“Regain consistency and confidence”

 Question:  After five years together, your rivals know your game well. What do you need to work on to stay competitive?

 Ari Sanchez:  "We must find our  regularity  and our  confidence . Our rivals are studying us, they know what we are going to do. We are working to be more  unpredictable It's not working out the way we'd like yet, but we know that by getting back to our base, we can return to the highest level. We're competitive and we want to win everything again."

“Five years together, an exception in padel”

 Question:  In padel, partner changes are frequent. Have you ever discussed separating?

 Sanchez / Josemaría:  “The truth is that change has become the norm: some pairs last one tournament, others three, others five. We are the exception. We have been playing together for five years now. It’s incredible when you think about everything that goes into it, training every day, sharing so much. We even have a fan base that doesn’t support us individually but as a duo:  Ari and Paula . It's very special."

"It's true that in padel, partner changes are constant. Sometimes players contact you to propose a partnership, even in the  Top 10 . It's part of the circuit. In our case, we are an exception because we have been playing together for a long time, but yes, these requests exist."

"We know that many couples form and then break up behind the scenes after calls or discussions. This is not our current situation, but it is something very common in professional padel."

"Spain dominates thanks to its structures"

 Question:  What is the secret of Spanish domination in padel?

 Paula Josemaría:  "The secret is the training In Spain, we have a large concentration of coaches, physical trainers, sports psychologists… This creates a unique environment. Many young people from other countries come to train in Spain to progress. This is what maintains our lead. But this is already changing: we see matches with four different nationalities on the track. In a few years, this will be even more common.

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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