Guillaume Solis, from Lésigny to the Île-de-France League
His path in French padel now spans three roles: president of the Lésigny club, vice-president of the Île-de-France League and organiser of FIP Promises Paris. In the interview, he also sets limits to his own analysis and prefers to speak about the areas he follows directly.
At Lésigny, Solis leads an association-run club where tennis and padel share the same site. As demand grows, he rejects the idea that this model should be opposed to private venues. An association-run club can offer a different type of access, with its own capacity limits. Private centres often have a different number of courts, wider time slots and another economic model.
When Lésigny has no available slots, he says some members play elsewhere and that he does the same. In his view, growth only works if players can actually book and play. The goal is not to keep adding memberships, but to adjust facilities, coaching and activities to the number of players.
Youth development is becoming the real test of structure
The second theme runs through his different roles: young players. Solis points to the TNJ events, the League’s programmes and FIP Promises as signs of a pathway taking shape. He also stresses the role of volunteers and the teams that make these events possible.
His visit to the TNJ in Bondoufle stood out because of the number of participants and the presence of families. FIP Promises offers another point of comparison, with young French players facing academies and players from abroad. The tournament is listed on the International Padel Federation calendar in Lésigny.
This generation is also more visible on social media. The post below, published by young player Sacha Devriendt around FIP Promises Paris, reflects that growing exposure.
Spain remains ahead, but France now has more options
When comparing France with Spain, Solis avoids an easy shortcut. He acknowledges Spain’s lead in the density of facilities and the concentration of high-level players. He also believes that part of the instinct to see Spain as the only route to improvement still comes from the prestige attached to the country.
On Alpha Padel Podcast, he sums up his position in one sentence:
“If you decide to train properly in France, you can.”
His point is not to deny the gap with Spain. He separates the quality of coaching from the maturity of the wider system. France now has coaches, academies and competitions that allow players to improve at home, but it still needs to bring the best players together more often in centres capable of raising the level of daily training.
The full interview is available on Alpha Padel Podcast. For Solis, the next task is clear: give young players more opportunities to compete without setting the structures that host them against one another.
