Teo Zapata: “I became a professional player thanks to Benjamin Tison”

Teodoro Zapata and the 42^e world player in the FIP ranking and one of the best known Spanish players in France, for all Aficionados de padel. The Spaniard is present on the professional circuits, the late World Padel Tour and now the Premier Padel.

Teo Zapata is also the emblematic partner of Cyril Hanouna. He also shared the track with a certain Ben Tison, before the end of their association in 2022.

he is also the only player to have won the three editions of Interclubs in France: twice with All In 69 and, this year, with Casa Padel.

We were able to chat with Teo, to tell him about all the latest news concerning him!

3 French team championship titles, a first

I am very happy to have been able to win this French Championship three times. Above all, I am happy for the team. With All In Lyon, who I was with for two years, we had a great group, with friends I knew from before. These two years went really well and I benefited a lot from it.

And this year, with Casa Padel, with players that I also knew, like Miguel Semmler or Mario Huete. The others, I didn't really know them but they treated me like family. This is a group that has come a long way to get here, and it has gone really well!

2024, still with Casa Padel ?

I will get involved with Casa Padel 100% next year and we will go for the title again!

The only problem there could be that would prevent me from playing is if there was a tournament on the professional circuit at the same time. But if there is no competition at the same time as the Interclubs, I will play with Casa Padel at 100%.

CYRIL HANOUNA INTERCLUBS CHAMPIONS of France CASA PADEL

The results of the 2023 season

I finished last year by completing my goals. It was a very regular season. The start of the season was not great but there was a remontada at the Reus Open, a tournament with a great result (Editor's note: a quarter-final)!

The end of the season with Fran Guerrero was incredible. Thanks to him, I was really able to achieve my objectives and I start this season with a very good position in the standings. I will make sure to do even better this season.

His separation from Fran Guerrero

This year I will play alongside Enrique Goenaga. With Fran, our understanding is perfect, he is a great friend on the circuit and it was a pleasure to play with him. We get along really well!

But the decision was made when he wanted to try something new and signed up with Arnau Ayats. My own path took me to Enrique Goenaga who is 43rd in the world. I'm very happy with it. He's a young player, with an incredible future, that motivates me even more for the year ahead!

Its ambitions and program for 2024

Already, this week represented a big change for many players, with the start of this new circuit: Ultimate Padel Tower (UPT). I am currently in Galicia and I will enter the round of 16 today.

UPT La Coruna – Seeds 1 and 3 down!

2024 is going to be a year with a lot fewer tournaments. There will be Premier Padel and probably some FIPs. This year, I hope we will be able to have incredible tournaments!

Afterwards, the primary objective remains Premier Padel which is the number 1 circuit today. I'm also going to play the UPT because in truth, it's a circuit that is really well organized and the conditions are great.

The other objective will be to try to enter the sixteen best pairs in the world: it is a very ambitious project, but, considering the team, it is an achievable objective. We will make sure to achieve our goal every day!

His new association with Oxdog

Slazenger is a brand that had other priorities for its growth. She didn't want to continue with me. So, I discussed with Oxdog and they gave me welcomed with great enthusiasm. The equipment is really great and things went very quickly between the brand and me.

I will also be sponsored by Padel My love, who will take care of the clothing.

To summarize, this year I will play with a racket Oxdog and I will be dressed by Padel My love.

His end of the road with Benjamin Tison

For me, Ben Tison is like a brother. He's not just a teammate, he's one of my best friends. I am always happy to be able to come to France and to be able to see him every time I come.

Benjamin, quite simply, is the person who made me become a professional player. It allowed me to play against the best players in the world. It's all thanks to him.

Ben and I were together for two years, which seems like a long time for a pair. But it is true that in the padel Currently, there are a lot of tournaments, a lot of things to do... We changed plans, both of us, but I was always happy to play with him, to get on the track alongside him because he has a very competitive mentality. We benefited a lot and we fought a lot on the track.

We had to separate but that’s how life is. Ben is a fantastic person and we are great friends, just like we were before!

His association with Cyril Hanouna

To begin with, the fact that Cyril is getting closer to the top 50 and that he can get closer to his goal, I am very happy about that. I think that in our association, I allow him to raise his level. But Cyril has improved in recent months to achieve his goal. Without that, it would have been impossible, so I'm very happy for him.

My personal relationship with him is great. We had a very good gut feeling. from the start. We got along very quickly. Even off the field, he has become a friend: we chat very often on WhatsApp.

For me, he's not just a teammate, like people might think. They think we're playing the tournament and, once it's done, we don't talk to each other anymore. He's actually a friend of mine because we spend a lot of time together. I think we have a great time together and enjoy it.

For me, the personal part with a teammate is very important. With Cyril, it’s fantastic.

Overcoming the language barrier with Cyril

We both improved our English, which allowed us to communicate better with each other. Afterwards, he speaks French, I speak Spanish and if we have a problem understanding, we ask someone around to clarify.

On the track, it's easier because there aren't a lot of things to say to each other. We simply have to communicate about movements linked to padel. Outside the track, we have our coach who helps us. So in the end, it's not very complicated to talk to each other.

A necessity for players to speak English

Maybe I'm not the best person to talk about this because I myself have a lot of difficulty with this language, but I think it becomes fundamental for players to speak English to be able to communicate with everyone.

Today, English is the universal language, and I think it is essential, for players of padel but for everyone too, to know how to speak English!

Gwenaelle Souyri

It was his brother who one day told him to accompany him on a track. padel, since then, Gwenaëlle has never left the court. Except when it comes to going to watch the broadcast of Padel Magazine, World Padel Tour… or Premier Padel…or the French Championships. In short, she is a fan of this sport.