Marie Rondot: from padel court to coaching dream
After several months in Australia, Marie Rondot has returned to the padel world with a much clearer vision of her future. While competition remains part of her daily routine, the French player is increasingly focused on sport development and passing on experience at elite level. Her comeback marks not only a sporting return but above all a deliberate reorientation within the French padel ecosystem.
As she helps build the 4PADEL structure in Boulogne-Billancourt, she is pursuing an ambitious plan: guiding young talents towards the top while gradually building her career as a coach. In a region where the sport is growing rapidly, she wants to create a lasting bridge between club work, youth development and her own competitive practice.
From the court to building a sporting project
On her return to France, Marie Rondot did not necessarily see herself resuming a full-time playing career. Yet one conviction quickly took hold: she wanted to work in the padel environment and commit to the sport long term. Her months Down Under helped her reorder priorities and define professional perspectives more clearly.
That clarity led her to an opportunity in Boulogne-Billancourt, where she joined the club's development team. Initially heavily involved in day-to-day operations, she gradually found her place in the facility's sporting growth. For an experienced player, this shift from pure competition mode to an organisational role represents a significant change of perspective.
Drawing on her experience as an active player, she soon took on responsibilities in coaching and structuring the sporting offer, including group classes for adults, children's training and holiday camps. She coordinates content, plans training formats and ensures the club's programme remains attractive for both beginners and ambitious players.
This hands-on work now gives her a deeper understanding of how a modern padel structure functions – from planning and member communication to long-term sporting direction. She intends to pass that knowledge on deliberately to young athletes in the future.
Back in competition – without added pressure
Despite her professional duties, Marie Rondot has never fully set aside her competitive side. After nearly ten months without touching a racket, match feelings returned surprisingly fast and revived her appetite for early-season tournaments. On court she felt immediately comfortable again and sensed that her technical base had remained intact despite the break.
At the same time, she no longer lets her sporting career take priority over her professional responsibilities. That balance between work and elite sport clearly defines her new rhythm. Rather than focusing exclusively on a full-time international career, she chooses a path that connects both worlds without neglecting either.
A standout moment came with victory at the women's P1000 in Amiens on 1 June alongside her new partner Manon Garcia. Over a perfectly controlled weekend, she displayed a level of play that underlines her strong return to form after the break. For both players it was also their first tournament together – a success that builds confidence in the new pairing.
Coaching as a dream since age twelve
While she remains active on court, her focus is shifting increasingly towards coaching and youth development. The idea of training, sharing knowledge and working at elite level has been with her since childhood. For Marie Rondot, coaching is not a spontaneous idea after a sporting break but a long-held goal that has matured over years in different environments.
Guiding players, helping them evolve and making progress visible are central motivations in her sporting journey. She describes this passion as an inner constant that remains regardless of tournament results. That is why the role of mentor and development partner for young talents is moving ever more clearly into the spotlight.
Coaching diploma and competition hub on the horizon
The coming months could mark an important step in this evolution. Marie Rondot hopes to obtain her coaching diploma soon and expand her work in player development. She aims to complete the relevant French qualification from next year onwards, strengthening her professional credentials in youth sport.
Her project does not stop at an individual coaching career. Within the club, she wants to help create a genuine competition structure. The western Paris region still lacks an established elite padel facility – a gap she intends to help close. Such a performance hub could offer young players training rhythm, match experience and sporting direction.
The goal is to support young players in a structured way while building a sustainable performance environment. In doing so, she combines her roles as athlete, sporting manager and future coach in one coherent project that looks beyond individual seasons.
FIP events: opportunity rather than main target
Unlike some French players who commit fully to international adventures, Marie Rondot remains realistic about the demands of the FIP circuit. A full-time career on the world tour requires maximum availability in her view – a model she consciously does not pursue as a primary objective.
She does not rule out selected international appearances if the right opportunities arise. Her priority lies clearly in the club's professional environment, in developing young talent and in gradually professionalising as a coach. She remains active at her level, enjoys playing and uses competitions as a complement – not as her sole life focus.
