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WHY SO MANY CHANGES OF PARTNER IN WPT?

CHANGES OF PARTNER – INTRODUCTION

Nowadays, changes of partner in the WPT are a very common and almost constant occurrence throughout the season.It is becoming more and more common for players who start the season with one partner to end it with another. There are even players who, throughout the year, may have played with more than 4 different partners.

On the face of it, and seen from the outside as fans, it seems somewhat over the top. I am sure that there is no shortage of people who wonder why there are so many changes of partners, what are the reasons that make this happen so often.

Well, we are going to compile a list of possible factors that could lead to the break-up of a padel partnership.

ALEX RUIZ//MOMO GONZALEZ SPLIT IN MARCH ’23

POSSIBLE REASONS WHY COUPLES BREAK UP

The following list of possible reasons why padel couples break up is not ordered in order of importance. It is not a complete list either, but there could be other factors that we have not mentioned here that cause changes of partner.

Lack of results.

No matter how well two players get along, if they don’t get the expected results, sooner or later they will end up parting ways.

Lack of affinity or understanding.

For a couple to work as well as possible, both members should understand each other perfectly, have a certain connection or bond, be comfortable with each other, even off the court.

However, this is not always the case, either because of the personality of each of them, their personal style of play, competitive attitude or for whatever reason.

Age.

The fact that the members of a pairing have a considerable age difference between them increases the chances that they will end up separating.

Position on the court.

Sometimes pairs are formed with two players playing on the same side of the court. This inevitably results in one of them having to play on their less good or less desirable side. This, logically, can lead to the pairing not working as well as it should.

For points or ranking.

This can happen, for example, when a player sees that with his current partner he is about to lose the advantage of starting tournaments in the main draw. In these situations, it is not uncommon for them to look for another partner with more points in order to be able to continue to enter directly into the main draw of the tournaments.

Injuries

If a player is injured very often or has suffered an injury that lasts for months, it is almost inevitable that his partner will look for another partner.

Different goals and/or degree of commitment.

According to experts, it is essential that both partners pursue the same goals and have the same level of commitment.

So, for example, if one of the players is willing to train every day, to do physical preparation, to follow a diet, to do psychological work, etc., while the other one only wants to go to the court training, this is not going to work and will almost always lead to changes of partner.

CHINGOTTO/TELLO PARTED WAYS LAST SEASON

Different trainers.

When a new couple is formed, the most common thing is that each player already had his or her own coach. This situation, in addition to the fact that during tournaments there can only be one coach on the benches when changing sides, means that it is not always easy for the new pairing to work well.

Ideally, the pair should have only one coach.

Looking for new motivations or a change.

When a couple that has been together for a long time breaks up, we are initially surprised. But if we look at it in perspective, perhaps, after a long time playing together, a change can be a good choice for both.

Many players to choose from.

Years ago, the level of the top 8 pairings in the world was way above the rest, so being able to change partners was more complicated.

Nowadays, there is a very high level outside the top ten, so there are many more good players available to try a partner.

There are no consequences.

Changing partners, unless you have signed a contract (something very unusual in padel, at least for the moment), has no repercussions. You can leave your partner at any time and “nothing happens”.

Sponsors are individual.

Sponsors in padel don’t usually finance couples, but individual players. This means that a couple can split up without any repercussions for the sponsor.

Lack of patience.

We live in a world in which everything moves very fast and in which most people want and prefer immediate rewards over long term rewards, even if they are better.

Often, when a new couple is formed, they want to get good results already in the first tournament they play. However, whenever a new partner is formed, it must be taken into account that it will require a tactical, physical and psychological adaptation, and this takes time and work.

The place of residence and training.

If the players in a pairing live far apart or even in different countries, this could be an added difficulty for the optimal functioning of the couple, as in the case of some players, there is also the fact that they may already have a family with small children or a stable partner with whom they would like to share more time.

Excess or lack of trust.

No one doubts that having a good level of trust between partners is important. However, too much trust is not the best thing either. According to psychologists, it is almost better if they are not close friends with each other, because if they were, the line between friendship and “partners” on the court would be difficult to manage.

CONCLUSION

Whether we like it or not, at least for the moment, changing partners in padel is a very common occurrence on the professional circuit (this year we have already seen many partnerships go their seperate ways). Whether this is positive or negative will depend on each individual case. There will be players who will benefit from the change of partner and others, perhaps it will be to their detriment.

And finally, we encourage all readers that if they know of any other factor that may influence the break-up of a partnership, to leave a comment.

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE GAME OF PADEL: HERE

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