During the Madrid P1 and the Summit Padel organized by ASICS, we had the opportunity to meet Victor Stjern, Swedish player and historic member of the Swedish national padel team. Victor looks back with us on the evolution of padel in Sweden, his challenges as a semi-professional player, and his wish to see Sweden compete with the great padel nations, especially France.

You could say that today's Swedish players are not the same as they were six years ago. What has changed?

Victor Stjern : It's true, six years ago, for us, padel was a hobby. We played twice a week, it was for fun. Today, it has become a real sport. At the time of Marbella, it was always a hobby, but now with tournaments like Sardaigne and here at Madrid, it's both a hobby and a job for us.

You mean it's become your job?

Victor Stjern : Yes, in a way. But I also have a classic office job, because at the moment it is impossible to live exclusively from padel.

Are you close to being able to make a living from padel, but you prefer to keep your job?

Victor Stjern : For now, it's impossible. Sponsors are not enough, and as you know, tournament prizes are not high enough. If you're not in tournaments Premier Padel, it's complicated to get by financially.

We hear that padel is booming in Sweden, with about a million players. Can you confirm this figure?

Victor Stjern : Yes, that's true. That's about 10% of the population.

Victor Stjern franck binisti: Between frustration of the FIP system and dream of beating France

How do you explain this phenomenon in Sweden?

Victor Stjern : Padel has exploded in Sweden, but there are still difficulties. For example, even though the sport is growing, it is difficult for us players to really break through and make a living from it. We have a new generation of players coming through, but for now, only Windal and I have been with the team since Marbella, three years ago.

Do you think your future in the national team is numbered?

Victor Stjern : Yes, maybe. But I still support the Sweden and I hope we can beat the France.

Is it your dream to play against France and beat them?

Victor Stjern : Of course! We still have in mind that defeat against France in the bronze medal match in Marbella. The French players danced to celebrate their victory while we cried. Since then, we have continued the France,Italy, and the Portugal.

Sweden is often right behind these teams, right?

Victor Stjern : Yes, we are always one step behind. France,Italy, and the Portugal are slightly ahead of us. The Sweden and Belgium come next, but we have young players aged 18 to 20 who are coming up and who could perhaps change the situation.

And after the national team, is your goal to continue on the FIP circuit?

Victor Stjern : No, I will not play on the circuit anymore. FIP. I am frustrated with the current system. They do not take enough account of players who are not in Premier Padel. I think the current system neglects the new generation.

What do you think should be changed?

Victor Stjern : Rules should be imposed. For example, banning top 100 players from participating in tournaments. FIP Rise. The categories need to be structured to give young players a chance to progress. The current system does not allow them to move up the rankings quickly.

So you think that top 100 players should be excluded from certain FIP tournaments?

Victor Stjern : Yes, exactly. The Fip Promotion should be reserved for certain players, just like the FIP Rise and IFJ Star. There needs to be more intermediate categories, with appropriate points and cash prizes.

In Sweden you have a lot of tournaments, so you don't need to travel as much as in other countries, right?

Victor Stjern : That's true, but it's still a question of funding. Even though we have tournaments in Sweden, the best players often come to the FIP Rise, and this makes the competition very tough. There should be more local tournaments with fewer highly ranked players.

You come from tennis, how did you discover padel?

Victor Stjern : In Sweden, most padel players come from tennis. I played tennis until I was 21, with the dream of participating in Roland Garros. When I realized that I didn't have the level to break through, I started working and discovered padel in 2017.

Would playing padel at Roland-Garros be a dream for you?

Victor Stjern : Yes, that would be amazing, but I don't have enough points for that right now.

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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