Thomas Vanbauce, 204th player in the world, 28 years old, left-handed player and coached by Jean-Thomas Peyrou at the Big Padel Bordeaux , confided in the microphone of Padel Magazine to return to several subjects, between the end of his collaboration with Simon Wagner, his association with Johan Bergeron for the next French championships, or even the choice of its partner for 2025.

Bergeron / Vanbauce at the French Championships

Thomas Vanbauce, 10th French player, will be associated with Johan Bergeron, 4th in the French ranking. Together, they will form the number 4 seeded pair of the French Championships, which will take place from September 19 to 21.

“Jo sent me a message at the beginning of March asking me to play the French Championships with him. Something I had prepared for. In this scenario, I can't see myself, or even at all, refusing this offer. Johan is one of the pillars of the French team, his level on the right is stratospheric again, he's playing his best padel at the moment.”

The objective is clear for the French pair: to aim for the title of French champion and dethrone the number 1 seeded pair and last winner, Thomas Leygue / Bastien Blanqué.

“We're aiming to win the French championship title this year. We'll try to dethrone Thomas and Bastien, who are well established. We clearly have our card to play, knowing that there are other very strong teams in the French Championships. But I'm very happy to be able to play them with Jo. It's a great opportunity that I couldn't refuse.”

Originally planned alongside Simon Wagner to participate in the next ones French Championships, Thomas Vanbauce had alerted his teammate of a potential change.

“I had originally left with Simon for the French Championships, but I told him that if I had an offer from Johan, I couldn't see myself refusing him. Fortunately, he found one on his side Philemon, it will be a very competitive team, not easy to play.”

Simon Wagner (30ᵉ) will therefore be associated with Philemon Raichman (9th French) and will form the number 10 pair in the competition.

Thomas Vanbauce had other options earlier in the season regarding his choice of partner for the French Championships, especially with Julien Seurin et Maxime Joris :

“Both of them contacted me for the French Championships at the beginning of 2025, but I was committed to Simon, and it was a less obvious choice to accept their offer than to continue with Simon, because we were committed.”

Maxime Joris et Julien Seurin finally joined forces for the French Championships in September, forming the competition's No. 3 seeded pair. Maxime Joris, a right-wing player, will therefore play on the left side.

“I think they were lacking options. Maxime, with his smash and his physical qualities, the left side also suits him, even if for me, it's on the right side that he can best express all his qualities. But Julien is left-handed, so that limits this change of position.”

Thomas Vanbauce: "We're aiming to win the French championship title."
Thomas Vanbauce: "We're aiming to win the French championship title."

The end of the collaboration with Simon Wagner

After sharing the field alongside Maxime Joris, Thomas Vanbauce closed the 2024 season with Simon Wagner, an adventure continued in 2025.

“Simon and I played a few tournaments together at the end of the 2024 season after Maxime decided to end our partnership. As a result, I was very happy to focus on Simon, having confidence in his level of play and his potential. He was an aggressive player, a new facet of the partner I was playing with.”

Before their separation at the start of the season:

“The start of 2025 hasn't been productive enough. We've had some big defeats, matches that I didn't lose last year alongside Maxime or even with Simon. This start to the season is like going backwards in terms of results, and it's a fairly pivotal season with the problems Premier Padel : we have to get points quickly and I have to maintain my place in the French team. So I made the decision to stop with Simon. For the moment, I will not play with him anymore.”

An end of collaboration which raises the question of the new partner of Thomas Vanbauce for the rest of his season.

Which partner in 2025?

The Frenchman is looking for a long-term project and is exploring the various possibilities available to him this April.

“I've always been up for creating a long-term project, because I'm not a fan of one-shots. For the moment, with Johan, it's the case for French Championships, because with Bastien, they have incredible results internationally.”

A decision will be made at the end of April, when the future partner of Thomas Vanbauce :

“This April, I'm going to play with partners I like, and by the end of the month, the goal is to have a permanent partner to continue the season.”

Several possibilities are available to him, with the names of Maxime Joris (168th in the world):

“Max Joris is a possibility, but now he is playing with it Guillem Figuerola Santiago (158th), so it’s complicated.”

Thomas Vanbauce Maxime Joris euro padel 2024
Photo Credit Loic Wacziak FFT

That of Nicolas Rouanet (275th):

“Nico has improved enormously in recent months, he is playing very, very well. I am very happy to play with him for a few tournaments. I will resume the FIP in mid-April near Bristol, at FIP SilverWe can play very well together, I really have confidence in us.”

And the Italian Riccardo Sinicropi (170th in the world), with whom he will make the FIP Bronze Nola, in Italy (April 14-20):

“The following week, I'm going to do a tournament in Italy with Riccardo Sinicropi, an Italian who speaks French and plays very well. I don't know if he's looking for a long-term project. It's mainly that I was looking for a partner, and I like to vary during this period, so I had this opportunity to play with him. I'm taking it with great pleasure, in a tournament in Italy that I know well: I reached the semi-finals last year.”

The last name mentioned by Thomas Vanbauce is the one from Julien Seurin, the Frenchman 172nd in the world and 7th in France:

“I'm still looking for a partner for the last tournament in April. I'm waiting to hear from Julien Seurin, who plays with the Spaniard Pablo Landaburu, but I know he's a little injured. It's possible we'll have the opportunity and I'd really like to play with Julien, we've never played together."

The choice would fall more on a French right-wing player for Thomas Vanbauce :

“I still prefer a French partner. I would like to have the choice between these three players on the right, knowing that the most likely ones are Julien ou Nico, because Max, unfortunately, in the long run, I don't know how he is mentally.”

The boycott movement

At the beginning of this year, the season Premier Padel was marked by the boycott of the world's best players, following conflicts between the players and the circuit's governing body. A protest movement where the Top 100 did not participate in the tournaments of Gijón et Cancun P2 to try to change things.

“Since not all the Top 100 players were playing, it was an opportunity for us Top 200 players to participate in these tournaments and get some points. But even participating in them, it wasn't beneficial for me. It was an opportunity to collect points and get a better ranking in the FIP. In the end, everyone outside the Top 100 took advantage of this opportunity and earned points, so the rankings tightened up.”

However, some lower ranked players took part in these tournaments to collect points, which was criticized by many people, especially because the boycott was initiated in support of players ranked outside the Best 100/200.

“The boycott has been put in place for all players outside the Top 20 worldwide, in order to allow them to obtain better conditions. Beyond that, it was done for padel in general. Premier Padel promised things they didn't keep, and I find that scandalous. With a sport that is booming, players and Premier Padel should work hand in hand. Except that Premier Padel "The government is acting on its own and the players are making drastic decisions. This is not the best way for the sport to become more professional and be represented at the Olympics."

Nicolas Fillaudeau

A big sports enthusiast and former tennis player, I discovered padel a few years ago without really focusing on it. Then I became addicted to this sport by practicing it and watching the premier padel matches. Looking forward to sharing the 2025 news with you!

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