In the first part of this interview, Alexandre Prévert spoke about the state of mind of his players, the  mental demands  and the  behavior to adopt in high-level matches .
In this second part, the coach tackles the  excesses of the international circuit , to  economic inequalities in women's padel , and shares its  proposals for a fairer system .

A ruthless economic reality

Asked about the  difficulties of players ranked beyond the top 100 , the coach is  lucid .

 “Can you make a living from padel when you're ranked around 150th in the world? The answer is yes, but it's the exception. It takes a rare combination: talent, a network, and a supportive entourage. Laura is lucky to have all of that. She has talent, hard work, and is surrounded by support. But it's extremely unequal.” 

He insists on  the importance of chance  and support.

 “There are very strong players who don't have the means. And others, less strong, who benefit from support. Laura benefits from many things that others don't: partners, sponsors, a coach who is fully involved, even financially. We try to capitalize on that, but it remains a rare privilege.” 

The vagueness of the FIP circuit and its perverse consequences

Alexandre Prévert deplores the  constant changes  in the functioning of the  international circuit .

 “Every year, the rules change. There is no continuity. This season, the elimination of points and prize money in qualifying Premier Padel has had perverse effects. The best ones no longer go there. Result: they return to the FIPs to look for points and money.” 

Direct consequence:  an explosion in the level of the Bronze FIP .

 “Top 30 girls who we never saw at the FIPs are now coming to play there. And they're competing against players like Laura, who don't have the same track record or the same resources. As a result, we no longer have accessible 'small' tournaments. The FIP Bronze tournaments have become a jungle.” 

 “Last year, Laura and I started in the FIP Promotion with 12 points. Today, we're going to finish this weekend with at least 80 points. And yet, in the FIP Bronze, we're around the 14th or 15th seed. That really shows the explosive growth in the level.” 

Growing disparity among women

For Prévert, the  density of women's padel  is more marked than in men.

 “In the boys' competition, you can still pull off some surprises, like Timeo Fonteny, who reached the semi-finals in Portugal. In the women's competition, performances against the top seeds are extremely rare. Practically everything is written in advance.” 

He also mentions the  high logistics costs , especially for young underage players.

 “You drive 500 km, you spend 500 euros, you get knocked out 6/0 6/0 in 30 minutes. It's brutal. And it's the norm today. There are no more sub-circuits to build on.” 

A system that needs to be thoroughly rethought

The coach offers a  overhaul of the international padel circuit , inspired by tennis.

 “I would model the organization on tennis. Clear categories: P1, P2, P3, P4, P5. And rules that prevent players in the top 30 from dropping down to P4 or P5. We need to create access pathways, with real sub-circuits.” 

He also denounces the  total lack of visibility  in qualifying Premier Padel.

 “You're going to play a P2 qualifier, you spend a lot, you don't win any points or money, and on top of that, there's no streaming, no photos, no visibility. Even the photographers don't come. It's anything but motivating.” 

A dream that deserves better

For Prévert,  Premier Padel  don't give one yet  sufficient professional image .

 “There were some qualifiers that weren't filled in P1 or P2. We could have entered my mother. That shouldn't happen on a circuit that claims to be professional. We're in a transition period, but it's time to lay solid foundations.” 

And above all, he regrets that  players are unregistering from professional tournaments  :

 “Today, we have players who prefer to avoid qualifying Premier PadelThey unsubscribe, even if they're accepted, because it's not worth it. And these are girls who train hard, who are ready to fight. It's not a problem of commitment, but of the system." 

Towards a simplification of the circuit?

One of the ideas discussed behind the scenes: unifying the system.

 “Why not? Today, we are lost between FIP and Premier Padel. It would be more readable. But once again, it will have to be regulated. If it's to have four P5s in the same week, it won't change anything." 

And he defends the idea of a  geographic centralization  :

 “At the time of the World Padel Tour, it was more focused on Spain. It cost less. Today, we are in the United States, the Philippines, Asia… It’s good for the opening of the sport, but not for the players’ wallets.” 

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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