Omeyer: From handball goal to padel court

Thierry Omeyer is one of the defining faces of French handball. As the national team's long-serving goalkeeper and a double Olympic champion, he shaped an entire era between the posts. Since the end of his professional career in 2019, he has never really left the sports arena – only the playing field and the equipment have changed. Today Omeyer is at home on padel courts and was back in the spotlight at Head Padel Tennis Paris, where numerous sports personalities came together racket in hand.

From handball goal to padel court

Omeyer is embracing the switch from handball to padel with great enthusiasm. "I love playing padel," he says. "It's a great sport where I have fun, can burn energy and everything happens in a really good atmosphere. There's a genuine team spirit in padel – I like that." Beyond the sporting side, it is above all the conviviality of the discipline that appeals to him. That spirit is regularly on display at events where former professional athletes meet in a relaxed but competitive setting – without losing sight of the pleasure of the game.

Omeyer's presence on the courts no longer surprises the scene. Over the years he has carved out a firm place among the well-known figures of French padel. At Head Padel Tennis Paris he used the opportunity to give Padel Magazine insights into his growing passion for the sport – and explained why his past as an elite goalkeeper still benefits him on court today.

Handball qualities as a padel advantage

The parallels between goalkeeping and padel defence are obvious to Omeyer. Nearly twenty years at the highest level in handball trained his reflexes, trajectory reading and ability to stay calm under pressure. All of that is now a real asset on the padel court. "Having been a handball goalkeeper helps me enormously," he stresses. "Especially at the volley, with reflexes, defending and blocking – whether against bajadas, smashes or viboras. The qualities I had as a goalkeeper help me a lot."

The statement illustrates how skills can transfer between sports when reading the game and coordination play a central role. For Omeyer the switch is not a mere hobby but a continuation of sporting thinking in a new environment. He keeps working on his game even though he has long stopped playing professional handball.

Defend before you attack

In an earlier conversation with Padel Magazine, Omeyer had already highlighted the importance of the lob in modern padel. Now he expands on his playing philosophy. The lob remains essential for him to regain the net and push opponents back. At the same time he has developed a particular liking for another iconic padel shot. "The lob is really a shot you have to master to try to take back the net and push your opponents back," he says. "Today what I really like are bajadas. It's a shot I appreciate a lot."

Even more important than spectacular winners, however, is defensive discipline for Omeyer. "I also love defending because I think it's the foundation of padel and you should try to make as few mistakes as possible," he explains. "That's what wins matches because finishing points gets harder as the level rises." That mindset inevitably recalls his time as a goalkeeper, when patience, positioning and error avoidance decided wins and losses.

Still room to improve at the net

Despite his experience and a solid level of play, Omeyer sees clear areas for development. Above all he wants to be braver at the net. "Maybe be a bit more aggressive in my finishing when I'm at the net," he admits. "I tend to play safe so as not to make mistakes. Sometimes I should be a bit more aggressive to finish points." The analysis shows how demanding padel is as a balance between patience and initiative – even for an athlete with decades of elite experience.

Omeyer's openness about his weaknesses fits his sporting mindset. He does not see padel as a mere transition sport but as a discipline with its own technical and tactical demands that he keeps working on. It is precisely this mix of enjoyment and ambition that explains why he remains loyal to the scene.

Padel as a meeting place for former pros

For several years padel courts have attracted more and more former professional athletes – handball players, footballers, tennis players. For Omeyer this diversity is one of the great strengths of the sport. "What's great about this sport is that lots of former athletes from different disciplines play it," he says. "It lets everyone come together around a common sport where you have fun. If we played football against footballers, we'd clearly be below them. If they come to handball, they are."

Padel therefore offers a more accessible and balanced competitive framework than the original disciplines of many ex-pros. Everyone finds part of the old competitive feeling there without carrying over the extreme level gaps of their own sport. For Omeyer the enjoyment remains intact – along with the belief that there is still plenty of room to grow. On padel courts he is likely to be seen racket in hand for a long time to come.