In padel, it is more common than one might think to see pairs formed by an experienced player and a player considered less strong, and this, more or less at all levels of competition.

That's what we call  hybrid pairs.  

Several reasons explain this type of pair:

  •  Personal relationships  :

Some players choose their partner based on a friendship or personal relationship, regardless of one's skill level. The pleasure of playing with a friend or family can take precedence over the competitive balance of the pair.

  •  Training and mentoring  :

An experienced player may decide to play with someone less experienced to guide and train them. This configuration allows the least experienced to learn and progress quickly. It is not uncommon to see this dynamic during regional tournaments between teachers and students.

  •  Economic reasons  :

They are varied. One of the most common is on the international padel circuit. And yes!

An ambitious player, looking to accumulate points to avoid difficult preliminary rounds, can team up with a partner with more points. The objective is to benefit from a sufficiently large weight per team to obtain theoretically more affordable first rounds.

This approach is common, for example, among players from the Emirates who often team up with Spanish or Argentinian partners, particularly on the FIP Tour.

In France, this strategy also exists. Jérémy Scatena underlined this, describing it as a “strategy to try to pass milestones more quickly, to avoid wasting too much time”. Although sometimes “not openly recognized, it is very present in the environment” the Frenchman tells us.

At the amateur level, public figures such as Cyril Hanouna popularized the idea of ​​sometimes playing with partners of a much higher level. This practice existed before the host and will continue after. We can also see very good padel players sometimes teaming up with personalities who are starting out, with former top athletes, such as footballers for example.

  •  Promotional or charity events  :

At promotional or charity events, it is common to see professional players paired with amateurs or celebrities. This is a way of making the event more attractive and entertaining for the public.

As you can see, there are tons of reasons to see hybrid pairs, and most of the time, they arouse a lot of curiosity among fans!

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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