Victor Caby: "In the long term, the goal is to be in the top 100"

Only at At 16, Victor Caby has already made some bold choices to try and establish himself in top-level padel. After two years spent in Palavas away from his family home, the young left-footer changed scenery again in September to join Bilbao and the academy Padel Stuff by Andoni Bardasco .

Between distance learning, daily training, and his first Spanish competitions, the Frenchman is building his project without rushing things. From his first racquet strokes with his father to his dream of Top 100 worldwide and Paris Major Victor Caby recounts his journey, his sacrifices and his ambitions.

Tennis in Palavas: the first choices to make

Before padel, there was tennis. With a father who was a coach, Victor Caby had a racket in his hands from the age of three. and practiced for nearly ten years. A story that eventually fizzled out during the Covid pandemic, until a brief foray into football. Padel finally came into his life almost by chance, when courts were built at his tennis club. In 2023, his first TNJ tournaments quickly inspired him to take it further.

“I could see that I was having a lot of fun. At the end of 2024, I wanted to go to an academy because I really wanted to improve as much as possible. In September 2024, I went to Palavas for two years. And frankly, it was incredible. I made loads of friends, it was amazing.”

His first departure from home came when he was only 14 years old. In a family already accustomed to sporting endeavors—his brother had also gone to the United States to play tennis—his parents supported his decision. But beyond the sporting opportunity, Caby quickly discovered the implications of such a decision at his age.

“My parents, as long as you’re thriving in what you’re doing, they’ll always support you. But I really didn’t have many friends. After six months, I wasn’t seeing anyone anymore. Talking to friends on social media, maintaining a relationship, it’s incredibly complicated. Then, I made so many friends in padel that in the end, it’s not so bad. Plus, they understand you: you do the same sport as them, you’re in the same boat.”

"I'm a bit like a left-footed player."

On the track, Victor Caby is not trying to hide his intentions A left-hander positioned on the right, the young Frenchman defines himself primarily as an aggressive player, drawn to the net and capable of finishing points in the middle. He sums up this offensive profile simply:

“I’m quite aggressive at the net, very aggressive. I’m left-handed, so I play on the right. I’m a bit like a left-handed player, actually, because I can finish points with my forehand down the middle.”

He cites in particular Jon sanz Among the players whose style he appreciates, Caby also does not seek to hide the areas in which he still needs to improve. Defense remains his main focus today. , whereas volleying is one of his strengths. An attacking style of play that is also accompanied by an expressive temperament on the court: he appreciates players who can show their emotions and admits to encouraging himself a lot.

And when the points start to weigh more heavily, the young left-hander insists he's not trying to escape the pressure. On the contrary.

"In important moments, the pressure doesn't get to me at all. I actually like that."

Bilbao and Bardasco, the logical continuation

After two years in Palavas, Victor Caby packed his bags again this summer This time, we're heading to Spain and Bilbao where he settled in September to work under the orders of Andoni Bardasco This decision wasn't made overnight. It all began at the end of 2025, during several tournaments played with Louis Cacheux , his partner in the youth ranks. In Barcelona, in December, Bardasco's presence alongside them and their run to the semi-finals finally convinced the young Frenchman.

“We played a tournament together in November and it went incredibly well. In December, we went to Barcelona and Andoni Bardasco joined us. I think we played the best tournament of our lives; we reached the semi-finals. Plus, I loved how he coached, how he was. He offered me the chance to do some training camps in Bilbao. So in February, I went to do some camps and I loved it. It was really great.”

The opportunity is all the more attractive because Cacheux is also part of the project allowing the two young Frenchmen to continue their development together. But at Bardasco, Caby is primarily seeking a higher level of challenge. After his first few months working with the Spaniard, one quality consistently emerges in his comments: rigor .

"He's extremely rigorous. I think we really need that to become strong."

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At 16, a daily life punctuated by classes and padel

Going to Bilbao also means completely reorganizing your daily life. Victor Caby is now continuing his schooling remotely with videoconference lessons spread throughout the week and adapted to his sporting project. Around this, padel naturally occupies a central place: training, extra games, physical preparation and now competitions on the Basque circuit.

“I have online classes. On Mondays, for example, I have training at 13 p.m. for an hour and a half. On Tuesdays, I have classes from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m., then padel in the afternoon. On Wednesdays, it's classes from 8 a.m. to noon and then we also go to padel. On Thursdays, we only have one training session in the morning because in the afternoon, I have classes from 13:30 p.m. to 19:50 p.m. And on Fridays, I don't have classes, so we play a game and have a training session.”

And on the track too, the change in method is noticeable. After two years spent at My Center Palavas, Caby is discovering a different approach with Bardasco, particularly in defensive work.

"I think it's mainly the coach who's different. We do a lot of individualizing. We really spend a lot of time slowing down the game defensively, giving ourselves time, and making blocks. In France, it's a bit different; the game is faster, so we work a lot on transitions. They're two different approaches, and I like both."

"For now, we really prefer to progress."

Despite his ambitions, Victor Caby does not seem to be in any hurry to commit full-time to the international circuit Since moving to Bilbao, the young Frenchman has mainly been playing on the Basque circuit Facing off against youngsters his own age, he is currently putting French competitions on the back burner. A few returns are planned during the holidays, while appearances on the FIP Tour are primarily intended to allow him to gain experience.

"For now, we're putting the French circuit on hold a bit. I think we'll go back to France to play a few tournaments during the holidays and enjoy ourselves. The FIP Tour isn't really our main objective. It's mainly for the experience."

A patience that doesn't prevent Caby from appreciating the progress made. During the last French U16 Championships Along with Louis Cacheux, he reached the final before losing in a particularly close match. This defeat leaves him with the feeling that he has closed the gap with the best young French players, some of whom already have more experience on the international circuit.

“At the beginning of the year, I thought we were still really far behind Sacha and Nathan. And now, the fact that it’s so close is extremely positive because we’ve managed to catch up a bit. They’re already on the circuit, their project is already a bit further along.”

There's no question of changing the plan to try and make up for lost time as quickly as possible. At 16, Caby still prefers to develop his game before seeking immediate international results.

"For now, we really prefer to progress, and then go on the circuit to see how things go."

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The top 100 in the back of my mind

If he refuses to rush things, Victor Caby remains ambitious nonetheless When he agrees to look beyond his current progress in Bilbao, the young Frenchman mentions a particularly high objective: to one day reach the world's top 100 . A prospect that is still distant at only 16 years old, but which would already symbolize a considerable achievement in his project towards the very highest level.

"In the long term, the goal is to be in the top 100. And then, if I'm in the top 100, of course, the goal will increase. But first, I'd really like to be in the top 100 because I think it's a pretty symbolic number, especially for us French."

From Palavas to Bilbao, Victor Caby has already agreed to disrupt his daily life to give his project a chance. Reaching the top 100 remains a dream to be built, rather than a predetermined milestone. And the young left-hander is aware of this. But when he allows himself to look even further, another image inevitably appears: that of Roland-Garros and the biggest tournament played in France.