Le Cupra Padel Point Tour left his suitcases at theUltra Cap Esterel. Alice of Caunes took the opportunity to interview one of the “old hands” of French padel, the former member of the France team and current coach at WinWin Padel Cabries: justin lopes.

“The old one” doesn't really agree

“I am often told that I am an “old hand”. I started in 2015, at the beginning of padel in France, so yes, I accept this label of old hand, even if I do not necessarily agree.”

Team France, no longer a goal

“The France team is behind me. I don't dream of that anymore. The level has really increased, so it's not my goal anymore. But, if I can win against good pairs who are in the France team, it will make me happy.

justin lopes

The level has increased

“With Alexandre Leruste, we were talking about the evolution of padel in France. It has evolved incredibly. The average level has increased, which is normal given that there are more and more young people who are getting into it.

There are also a lot more training structures, land growing all over the place.

Now, when you go to a tournament, you know that you can be eliminated in the first round.

Lopes and Authier, in the France team, but separately…

“I think a year ago, the Authier / Lopes pair deserved their place in the France team. However, the coach decided that would not be the case. Francois and I proved our worth on the pitch by beating almost every top French pair. But the coach has made his choices and we accept it. François was able to taste the French team and me too, so it's cool for both of us.

Authier Lopes clenched fist WPT Human Padel Open 2022

There were some very good victories with François Authier, we beat the best French pairs.

Then, there was also the epic in the French team in Rome for the European championship. I had the chance to play, it was a great experience.

For the little anecdote, I had a post-game routine with my ex-partner François. As soon as we lost, we went to McDo (laughs).”

Ferrandez / Lopes: here we go!

“So, since my ex-partner decided to do a bit like everyone else (ed. François Authier) and dropped his teammate (laughs), I now play with Jérôme Ferrandez. I re-motivated him and he is even more motivated than me. He is in the room every day. We qualified for the French championship, so we will play the next P1000 together and we will try to have fun on the pitch.

jerome ferrandez

About fifteen broken rackets

“My craziest experience was when I spent six months in Madrid. I was able to train with very good players and see the training of the pros. It was a good experience.

I'm a bit nervous on the court and I've broken a few racquets, I think around XNUMX.

Tired of procedural players

“I'm a bit fed up with the litigious people in padel. Padel is also and above all a sport that we love. We practice this sport because we want to have fun and enjoy ourselves on the court. Some people manage to spoil this pleasure by always picking on the little bug. Of course, there are rules, but sometimes, I think you have to know how to adapt, be intelligent, and not forget one thing: padel is a game above all. “

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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