Finalist in the U14 FIP Promises tournament in LésignySacha Devriendt is moving forward with a very clear idea of ​​what he wants to build. At 13, the young Norman is already making bold choices, committing himself to a demanding environment, and embracing high ambitions. Without excessive rhetoric, but with a lucidity rare for his age, he is forging his path in French padel.

From tennis to padel, a deliberate choice

Native NormandySacha discovered padel at the age of 10 years, after having played tennis for four years. A transition that happened naturally, almost instinctively.

“I used to play tennis, but I found padel more fun, especially for team cohesion. I don't really like playing alone, and I really enjoyed the atmosphere.”

Thanks to Elliot Mura, today both his partner and his friend at Vichy National Center for National Educationthat he first set foot on a padel court. Very quickly, the sport took a central place in his daily life.

"That's kind of what I want to do later on. So I figured that if I'm going to do that, I might as well go as far as possible."

A simple sentence, but revealing of a mindset already geared towards the long term.

Sacha Devriendt and Elliot Mura FIP Promises Lesigny
Sacha and Elliot at the FIP Promises Lésigny

The Vichy CNE, a structuring framework for progress

This season marks a significant turning point in his young career. Sacha has joined the brand new CNE of Vichy, a structure that opened its doors to 12 promising young French padel playersA demanding environment, designed for the highest level, which he discusses with great naturalness.

"The CNE is going very well. It depends on the day, but in general we train a lot."

His weekly schedule is already demanding, with almost daily training sessions, morning and afternoon sessions several times a week, and physical conditioning integrated into the program. A significant workload, but one he fully accepts.

He is supervised by Jeremy Garcia, his coach since his beginnings, Baptiste Benetoux, and Juan AldayA renowned Argentinian coach. A diversity of approaches that fuels his progress.

"They each have their role. With Jérémy and Baptiste, we work a lot on intensity. Juan brings a slightly different vision, an Argentinian mentality, playing more simply, not seeking out difficulties."

Vichy inaugurates the national training center Padel

Playing style, inspirations and early realities of the circuit

On the field, Sacha describes himself as a player balancedcapable of adapting to different situations.

"I would say somewhere in between, neither totally offensive nor totally defensive."

He identifies his strongest move without hesitation, the viper. Its main axis of progress remains the forehand volleywhich he wants to make safer, with less risk and more control.

In terms of inspiration, he looks mainly to international sources.

"I really like Tapia, and Chingotto too. What I like most about Tapia is his magic."

Today, Sacha already operates almost exclusively on the adult circuitdue to a lack of sufficiently numerous youth competitions in France. He mainly competes in P500, a demanding level for his age, and also had his first experience in P1000, contested in qualifying, with a very positive feeling. The results have not yet been rewarded with a title, as he has not yet won a P500 despite four finals playedA very real frustration, but one he approaches with calm and lucidity, convinced that hard work and consistency will eventually pay off.

Completely focused on padel, serious in his daily life and still a little reserved off the court, Sacha Devriendt is making steady progress with a very clear direction. At only 13 years old, the foundations are solid, the framework is in place, and the potential for improvement is immense.

Maceo ZERHAT

Maceo Zerhat discovered padel in 2020 at Domaine De Clairis in Burgundy. He contributed to the club's expansion by bringing his energy and curiosity. Padel Magazinehe transmits his antoushiasme and his " Padel"mania" by skillfully bouncing on all the latest news about your favorite sport!

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