WPT – These grandpas who are resisting

Retraining sport for many tennis players (and women), the padel makes it possible to prolong the duration of activity of athletes who are aging. It is true for the padel amateur, as had shown our survey of the age pyramid in the top 500 of the French classification.
But it's also true at the top level, where a large number of well-packed thirty-somethings and even a few forty-somethings are holding out on the rising 20-year-olds.

“We loved each other so much”

Among the old, there are those who play with their old friend forever, the one they rub shoulders with since the minimal category. Advantage: we know each other by heart, we complement each other and we won't get angry after having loved each other so much (though…).

Disadvantage: when there is one who tires in the stifling Toulouse, not sure at all that he (or she) can rest and let his partner run in all directions. Confidence: we saw one, moreover not so crumbling as that, not spraining at all when his partner failed and he had to run to save him the day…

The “life annuity” of padel

As a result, some have had the good idea to practice a kind of "life annuity" (*) of the padel. The principle is simple and can be summed up in the title of an ORTF program that those under 50 cannot know: “Head and legs” (1957 – 1978, may his soul rest in peace). In our case, we will add the arm!

Clearly, on the one hand an old man who looks like a wise old man, on the other a young man ready to cover twice as much ground and show how strong he is and how heavy he is.

After the principle, let's move on to the examples. In the final men's table, we have identified five pairs whose cumulative age of the protagonists reaches or exceeds 60 years. At the top of this list, we find the former world n°1 Juan Martin Diaz (46 years old), associated with the young Ale Arroyo (20 years), with a total of 66 years (67 by adding the months). But today, despite a good resistance, they did not last the distance at 3e set facing Agustin Tapia et sanyo gutierrez (60 years cumulative).

Crus that get better

Behind we find, with 64 years in total, Miguel Lamperti (43) and Jon Sanz (21). But yesterday, Ale Ruiz (28) and Momo Gonzalez (25) were fresher at 3e set…

Miguel Lamperti and his white hair and the young Jon Sanz

With 63 years of age in all, Maxi Sanchez35 years old) and I fight Capra (28 years old) are vintages that can still improve: moreover, we will find them tomorrow in the quarter-finals.

Also totaling 63 years, the pair formed by Fernando Belasteguin (43 years old, including 16 as world No. 1) and Arturo Coello (20 years old), will also be in the quarter-finals, with the ambition to go further.

Moreover, when we talk about the "boss" Bela, we are no longer in the life estate, but rather facing a "sponsor" who is looking for his worthy successor before handing over.

Note that all these pairs are far from girls Carolina Navarro (48 years) and Eli Amatriain (38 years old) : 86 years in total!

Published by
Jerome Arnoux