Alday on French padel selection and team spirit
Juan Alday has recently taken charge of the French women's national padel team – alongside Baptiste Benetoux. The Argentine coach has already led his first observation camp with the country's best players. In an interview with Padel Magazine he shares his first impressions, explains the criteria behind future decisions and defines what the role of a national coach means in modern padel.
An emotional new beginning
When Juan Alday talks about his first days as head of the French squad, his joy is unmistakable. The Argentine already knew the players from numerous televised matches, but direct contact in the daily training environment changes the perspective entirely. "I am very happy and very moved by this new step," he says. "I already knew all the French players, but seeing them up close is different. And with Baptiste by my side, everything is much easier."
Working with Benetoux forms the organisational and sporting backbone of his role. Both coaches share responsibility for a team facing major international assignments in the coming months – not least the World Championships.
Observation rather than upheaval
The recent training camp was not designed to pull players out of their usual routines. Instead Alday wanted to get to know the athletes better – as people, as teammates and as rivals for a limited number of places. Some arrived straight from competition, others with slight nerves. Yet the atmosphere fully convinced the new selector.
"The girls had a lot of energy," Alday reports. "Some were tired, others a little nervous, but we really appreciated this camp." What mattered to him was not technical level alone. "What interests me most is not just their level," he explains. "I look at their energy, how they solve situations or manage a match. That impressed me most positively."
Lambert and Barla in focus
Asked which players particularly impressed him, Alday reacts cautiously. Naming individuals is delicate because it can suggest others are being forgotten. Even so, Lou Lambert and Kimy Barla move to the fore. He discovered both at last year's French Championships in Perpignan.
"I really enjoyed seeing Lou Lambert and Kimy Barla again," Alday says. "I appreciate their development and progress. It makes you curious about what the future holds for them." His words underline the depth of French women's padel, where young players compete with established names for places.
Merah ahead of Mansart for the European Games
The debate over selection for the European Games is especially sensitive. Alday chose Steffi Merah and left Clara Mansart out. The coach stresses that no player is fundamentally above another. "I favour no one. The decisions are very difficult because the levels are very close."
The choice came down to tiny details Alday prefers not to reveal publicly. "That does not mean the players not selected are weaker or will not be picked later." Besides Mansart he names other strong candidates such as Camille, Cassandra and Jennifer. For the European Championships he and Benetoux felt Merah was the better fit.
Team spirit over individual talent
As a coach on the Premier Padel circuit, Alday knows the difference between year-round work with a fixed pair and the role of national selector. With the national team the logic is different: "I am not there to rebuild a player technically. Each already has her own coach. My job is to understand their qualities and find the best combinations."
His central thesis: "There can be two excellent players who do not work together. A selector's job is not simply to line up the best names but to build a real team." That philosophy will shape preparation for the World Championships. For Alday, the ability to form a competitive collective matters as much as individual playing level.
FIP versus Premier Padel
Finally Alday addresses a debate stirring the professional padel circuit: several top-60 players are increasingly choosing FIP events to maximise their points haul. He finds that understandable. "If a player can win more points at an FIP tournament than at a Premier Padel event, I think it is logical that they make that choice."
At the same time he wants better calendar coordination. "It would make more sense for a P2 like Bordeaux to take place before certain FIP events. Players need to keep playing FIP tournaments without losing their chances on Premier Padel." National coaches too must keep an eye on circuit politics while shaping their squads for the biggest title battles.
