Tayc and padel: when the racket takes over the studio

An episode that feels like a sporting confession

The concept behind “Sur la Piste avec…” is simple: a chat first, then a challenge on court. With Tayc, the interview quickly takes a very concrete turn. He smiles, warns that he’s “going to try”, and ends up dropping what sounds like an admission: padel has become the only activity able to knock the studio off the top spot. Not a line thrown in for effect, more a day-to-day marker: playing before, after, “doesn’t matter”, as long as the racket is there.

The spark: an invitation, a misunderstanding… and the slippery slope

His entry into padel has all the ingredients of a story you’d tell in the locker room. Tayc says he started “about a year and a half ago”, after an invitation from his professional circle. And as is often the case with “trendy” sports, the first step comes from a mix-up: someone suggests he should “do some paddle”, he pictures water… before realizing it’s padel. The line “We’re in Paris, there’s no water!” lands, because it also says something else: the sport has taken hold so fast it can show up in your life out of nowhere.

Once on court, Tayc describes a feeling many newcomers recognize: instant accessibility. From the very first session, you feel “pretty good”, you don’t feel completely out of your depth. He compares it to tennis, where the level gap can be discouraging. Here, the fun arrives sooner… and that’s exactly where the addiction mechanism kicks in.

An already disciplined lifestyle… and padel as the new pivot

What makes his testimony interesting is that he isn’t a sedentary person suddenly “converted”. Tayc presents himself first as an artist with multiple hats, but sport is already part of the picture: strength work, crossfit, running at the start of the week. And in the middle of that structured routine, he slips in almost naturally: “and then a lot of padel as well, even today”.

Between the lines, you understand why padel fits so well: it combines effort, coordination and game-reading, while keeping a very strong social dimension. You come to improve, you stay to play again, and you end up building your week around whatever slots are available.

“Mode compet’”: when a hobby changes status

At one point, Tayc puts words to the shift: he moved into “mode compet’”. And from there, his talk sounds almost like a classic club player’s: first tournaments, finding the right level, the urge to test yourself without getting burned.

He mentions starting out in P25 tournaments, before checking what the next tier feels like. His conclusion is blunt: in P100, the step up is tough. That contrast matters, because it adds nuance to the idea of padel being “easy”. Yes, you have fun quickly. But as soon as the pace increases, players shut the door at the net and defense becomes a science, your reference points change.

Padel “easy”? Tayc offers an idea that speaks to everyone

To the criticism — “it’s easy” — Tayc answers with a line that sums up the moment: when a craze takes off, there’s something worth understanding. He talks about the “science” of padel, meaning: choices, zones, timing, automatisms. In short, a game that rewards intelligence as much as physical ability.

Without diving into jargon, his message is clear: people don’t come back only because it’s fun. They come back because they sense there’s room to grow. And because they want to go and claim it.

The shot that gets him buzzing: the bajada de pared, backhand version

When asked about his favorite shot, Tayc names a very specific move: the bajada de pared, including on the backhand side. That detail isn’t trivial. The bajada is the shot that symbolizes the switch from “I’m under pressure / I take back the initiative”: reading the bounce, timing, commitment. And when it comes off, the feeling is immediate. It’s the choice of a player who no longer settles for just putting the ball back, but wants to build.

Clear references and a competitor’s wink

When the conversation shifts to references and ambitions, Tayc reveals another side of his relationship with padel: the player who watches, admires and projects himself forward. He mentions Tolito Aguirre, a spectacular figure on the circuit, for a simple reason: “He entertains me. You can tell he’s loving it.” More than a performance model, it’s the attitude that catches his eye playing for pleasure as much as for the point.

In a different register, Tayc also drops a half-spoken challenge, hoping for a sporting rematch against Steve Mandanda. A sentence delivered with a smile, but one that says a lot about today’s padel culture, where courts become places for friendly showdowns between personalities, far from the occasional casual hit.

Those references, shared without calculation, paint padel as a space for play, observation and projection. Not a showcase, but a court where admiration, competitive spirit and a taste for challenge intersect.

A player’s landmarks: clubs, space, height… and habits taking shape

Another telling detail: Tayc doesn’t talk about padel as an abstract sport. He names places, describes what he likes in a venue the space, the height, the feeling of playing “big”. He also talks about his training habits. At this stage, it’s no longer “I tried it once”, but a practice that’s taking shape, with preferences and routines.

To place the show’s setting and the ecosystem behind this kind of content, you can find the brand presentation here: 4PADEL.

Conclusion

What Tayc is really describing isn’t just another celebrity hobby. It’s a very contemporary story of a sport that slips into packed schedules because it ticks every box: accessible, social, addictive, but also technical enough to fuel a hunger for progress. And when an artist says padel has knocked the studio off the top spot, it’s not a punchline: it’s a signal. Padel isn’t just “trendy” anymore it’s becoming a habit.

Key takeaways

• Padel has taken hold in Tayc’s daily life, to the point it comes before the studio.
• His spark came from instant accessibility that makes you want to play again and again.
• He embraces a step up in intensity with mode compet and the reality of level gaps.
• His current signature shot: the bajada de pared, a symbol of a more constructed game.