Back to the interview with Benjamin Tison, number 121 at World Padel Tour and vice champion of France, in the Live Instagram “Le Face-à-Face”.

  • On his news:

I am in Perpignan today. I know that there is a part of Spain which has the right to start training again for high level athletes, especially for the padel. For my part, I'm waiting to see the evolution of things before making the decision to leave with Jérémy.

Regarding the takeover of the Wold Padel Tour, the organizers keep us updated as often as possible, they are working hard to get things back to normal.

I am confined with Jérémy. My mom's first cousin was a physical trainer for the USAP rugby team, he plays padel so he knows the specifics of the activity. They concocted a big program for us during this confinement based on one to two physical sessions per day and I must say that I have never been so physically fit.

  • Jérémy Scatena his new partner

We have chosen to play together this year on the French circuit as well as the Wold circuit. Padel Tower. We are training together and the pre-season went pretty well, we had good feelings. We played a very encouraging first tournament in Valencia with a very good pair (70 and 72 WPT), a second tournament in Italy where I caught the flu. We won our first game and then lost in the second round. Then there was this little disappointment in Marbella where we lost the start against Bastien Blanqué and his partner. Regrets compared to this first big tournament. Our biggest desire is to take back and show our value.

  • Its ambitions on World Padel Tour

It's only been six months since I've been really training padel. The top 80 goal is achievable for me. We will have to see if the tournaments resume this year because last year I did not play the first six tournaments and with the health crisis, the World Padel Tour canceled the first tournaments of the year so players will not lose points. Even if I have a good end of the season, I will have my points from last year to defend so if I finish the year between the 100 and 110 standings, that will mean that we will have played very well.

  • A difference between Adrien Maigret and Jérémy Scatena?

It's always hard to compare especially since they have two very different profiles. Adrien is talent in its purest form with the grids and his viboras, masterful shots and Jérémy is a hard worker who exploited the best of his potential with a big smash. In pre previas and previas, we do not have the right to leave the field, therefore the par3 of the Scat are real assets.

In terms of agreement on the ground, I never had any problems with Adrien or with Jérémy. With Adrien, we didn't need to talk a lot while being efficient. With Jérém, the little extra is in the mental preparation because we both work with Jean Michel Pequery, which allows us to get to know each other even better. He is very invested in our project and it's a big plus.

  • One player less in the France team

Everyone makes their decisions, if Robin accepted this position it was because he had his reasons. As a player, for me, on the right, Robin is one of the best three French of course, so we would have liked to keep him on the team. I wish him luck in his new project. I hope it will go well for him and that he will not be missed too much on the field. There is a new place to take for a player on the right… Justin Lopes, Jérémy Ritz, Jt Peyrou, Nicolas Trancart, Simon Boissé… Maxime Moreau on the right could also be a very good option. I am a player and not a coach I do not intervene in the choices but there are many players with the level to enter the French team.

  • Its meteoric development in the padel

I started on padel 3/4 years ago by doing one part per week of training. I played my first tournament, a P500 with Fred Pommier, in which we made the final by beating Jo Bergeon and Pierre Etienne Morillon. It is thanks to the good results that I have that I tried the adventure. For me it was not possible to go to train in Spain because I was 30 years old, my job.

Finally, with the support of my family and friends, I left. I play padel full-time, I have fun, which shows that life has great surprises in store for us.

  • Three French championships: two finals

We never went to the end with Adri but it is only the fault of Jo and Bastien because they always answered present during these two finals.

We didn't play our best padel but over the two matches they amply deserve their victories. It's a regret of course, but I intend to go and steal this title of champions of France.

  • A potential recovery in France?

Right now, we have to live day by day. No one knows the truth about coronavirus and its consequences. So if it is possible to resume in September, I dare to hope that the FFT will make sure to offer us a big tournament, a kind of French Championship. But I think the priority is not to take any risks regarding the health of the players. I would just like to know more, to have a little more visibility.

I am not a scientist, but as a human being I ask myself questions: how can we be 200 per metro train and prohibit 4 people on a padel ? Once again, I don't know anything about it, I let the specialists do it.

  • The teaching of padel in France

Regarding the diploma to be able to teach padel, it will not be a state diploma right away, because the padel is not part of the French Tennis Federation.

I was asked to be part of a working group, having been DES, teaching in my tennis club and padel, I responded favorably. The contents are being created. The FFT will soon communicate on this, I cannot say more for the moment.
Each one has a very precise mission, I am on the high level part and on the contents to present to the future trainees of this training.

  •  On the development of padel in France and the public / private opposition

The development of padel will go through private clubs and municipal clubs. We must not oppose them. We must realize that the development of padel in France cannot be done without the private clubs, since only one or two municipal clubs have covered grounds.

I understand that the private clubs are unhappy, once again, I am a player, I have no decision-making power, but what I wish them is to succeed in getting along.

The FFT could very well help municipal clubs and private clubs.

  • Regarding player remuneration and the two professional circuits

We are listening to all proposals. There are two pro circuits: the APT Padel Tour and the WPT, which has a strong presence in Spain but gives very little prize money to players like us. As the best French players we are lucky to have sponsors.

  • On the management of the game for a pair composed of a left-handed and a right-handed

I think it's an advantage to be left-handed / right-handed, we both have the forehand volley and the smash in the center. We have never been shy either with Adrien or with Scat. On the WPT, I had not bad player proposals, especially because I am left-handed I think.

Jérémy had a proposal from a player number 80 and he preferred to play with me who am 121. He believed in our project, basically we had to play only in France but he wanted to play the WPT with me. I think I have a game that adapts to a lot of people.

 

For + / questions from Internet users / Inside, find the entire interview in our Podcast here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBPdKUQJewk

Xan is a fan of padel. But also rugby! And his posts are just as punchy. Physical trainer of several padel, he unearths atypical posts or deals with topical subjects. It also gives you some tips to develop your physique for the padel. Clearly, he imposes his offensive style as on the field of padel !