Marie Rondot’s big reset: returning to padel, already in the finals

From Bordeaux to Caen: a return measured in benchmarks, not promises

Coming back after a long break often means coming back “small”: regaining sensations, regaining tempo, getting used to the pressure again. Marie Rondot, on the other hand, has chosen a different route. In the space of two weeks, the Frenchwoman made a return to padel that was as discreet as it was effective: a final at the Bordeaux P2000 with Clara Mansart, followed by a stint at the FIP Silver in Caen, the first European event on the FIP 2026 circuit.

In Bordeaux, the Mansart/Rondot pair arrived without the status of favorites, but with a rare dynamic: clarity in their roles, energy in the hot moments, and the ability to “hold on” when the match became tense. The result: a place in the final, where Godallier/Touly ensured respect for the hierarchy after a more disputed second set.

A change of scenery in Caen: an international tournament played indoors, with more “Spanish” tactics, faster patterns, points that lengthen differently and an immediate demand for ball quality. Rondot and Mansart reached the round of 16 (R16), an important stage for gaining experience and positioning themselves on the FIP circuit map.

The year off: an assertive choice, a reset without a racket

The word “pause” is too small. Rondot didn’t just take her foot off the gas: she slackened off. Instead of stringing together a season “by automatism”, she chose to get away. Destination: Australia, backpack version. It’s the kind of trip that can’t be planned in advance, but requires you to make your own decisions and adapt, day after day.

And above all, no snowshoes for many months. Not out of disgust, but rather out of a need for silence. “I needed to find myself again”, she confides, in essence. A retreat that seemed less like an escape than a reset: to find a body that was available, to break the routine, to get away from a logic of permanent performance.

What the journey has brought back to the trail: patience, margin, reading

When he returns, the change isn’t immediately obvious in a precise gesture. It’s elsewhere: in the way she constructs a point, accepts to play an extra ball, and doesn’t “force” the solution. Rondot appears more patient, more attentive to dips, and above all more consistent in sequences where, previously, the desire to accelerate could trap her.

In tactical terms, this translates into simpler choices: a control bandeja when you need to stabilize, a chiquita to get the opposing pair moving rather than looking for the winning point too early, and better management of defense-attack transitions. Padel rarely rewards haste; it rewards repetition of the right choices. With this in mind, the Rondot “2026 version” seems to be more accepting of the long time it takes to play a point.

Rondot and Mansart: a game that goes beyond the painting

In French women’s padel, some associations work because they combine qualities. Others because they create something obvious. Between Clara Mansart and Marie Rondot, there’s that extra something: a connection. We see it at pivotal moments, when exchanges become tense and the pair remains “together” – same intentions, same reference points, same reading of risks.

In Bordeaux, this alchemy made all the difference when the pressure was on. And in defeat in the final, it left a useful impression: that of a pair capable of existing against the best, even without having locked everything up. For a returning player, this is a strong signal.

Resuming without locking yourself in: a daily routine to build on

Since her return, Rondot has moved forward without announcing a five-year plan. She works at the 4PADEL center in Boulogne-Billancourt, a base that enables her to stay in touch with the slopes while keeping her head above water. The idea is not to rush through the stages or chase a perfect curve.

This choice says a lot about his new approach: putting meaning before volume. High-level padel requires a lot of training, constant movement and adjustments. But it also demands balance: the ability to last, to feel good, not to play “against yourself”.

What this means for the future: aiming right rather than aiming fast

From a sporting point of view, Rondot’s return raises a simple question: how far can she come back if she retains this freedom? A final in a P2000 tournament and an eighth in a FIP Silver don’t tell the whole story of a season, but they do give us a sense of direction. The next step will be to accumulate matches, consolidate the duo and, if the desire is confirmed, seek points on the FIP tour.

To understand how these tournaments fit together and what a FIP Silver represents in the progression to the very highest level, you can also reread our breakdown of the CUPRA FIP Tour.

One thing’s for sure: this comeback doesn’t feel like “catching up”. It has the flavour of a return by choice. And, in padel as elsewhere, that’s often where the best upsets lie.

Key takeaway

• Marie Rondot made a remarkable return with a final at the P2000 in Bordeaux and an eighth at the FIP Silver in Caen.
• His year in Australia, without a racket, was like a personal and on grit reset.
• On the track, she shows more patience and regularity, with a more “mature” point management.
• The pair with Clara Mansart still have a real chemistry, which will be interesting for the rest of the season.

For further information

• FFT – P2000 de Bordeaux 2026: official report (women’s final)
• FIP – Marie Rondot’s profile (reference FIP Silver Caen, R16)