FIP Tour: Bandol qualies, French pairs in Dakar
This week, French padel fans are watching two parallel FIP Tour stops. In Bandol, the FIP Silver qualifications get underway with several tricolor pairs in action, while in Dakar, Senegal, two strong French pairings target title runs and valuable FIP points in an open Bronze draw. Both events will quickly show which combinations are gaining momentum on the 2026 international calendar and where new French pairings must prove themselves under tournament pressure for the first time.
FIP Bronze Dakar: Bergeron/Seurin and Martin/Soubrié eye the title
The FIP Bronze in Dakar is an attractive opportunity for French players to collect ranking points in June without entering one of Europe's densest fields. Organizers have set up manageable draws in both categories where international experience meets local and mixed opposition. For French teams, the stakes include national pride and a realistic shot at the 40 FIP points promised to the champions.
In the men's event, Johan Bergeron and Julien Seurin enter as the second seeds. Their opener pits them against Hugo Houedessou and Senegal's Mouhamed Daffe. The opponents combine French circuit habits with regional presence, but on paper Bergeron and Seurin hold the initiative. The men's table is considered relatively light overall, so a run at least to the semifinals—and possibly the title—is not a theoretical scenario for the French. Every win in Dakar would move the pair up the FIP rankings and send a signal ahead of upcoming Silver or Gold events.
In the women's draw, Charlotte Soubrié and Mélissa Martin are the fourth seeds. With only fourteen entered pairs and several duos without significant international history, the structure favors experienced teams. Soubrié and Martin face Senegal's Laurent and Ghozaiel in round one. The opener is about finding rhythm and communication on hot sand before facing unknown opponents in the decisive phases. The stated minimum target is the semifinals; anything beyond that would raise pressure on rivals and underline France's presence in West Africa.
Published men's and women's draws show Dakar is not a side note on the calendar. Players who use the first week of June in Senegal can secure a full points haul with manageable travel. For Bergeron/Seurin and Martin/Soubrié, that means consistent match planning from the start, no careless set losses in round one, and clear roles at the net and from the baseline.
FIP Silver Bandol: qualifications with a French focus
In parallel on the Mediterranean, FIP Silver Bandol opens its qualification block featuring French, Monegasque, and Italian players. The first matches on qualification day are exclusively European names, underlining the event's local character. Survivors earn a place in the main draw, which is expected to be released officially within hours.
First-round qualification schedule
From 6:30 p.m., two ties are scheduled. Top seeds Théo Suzanna and Rémy Gourre meet Edoardo Galbusera and Alessandro Ciaccia. Next, Nicolas Escavabaja and Tom Taieb play Dario Maturi and Pierre Valsot. The second session starts no earlier than 8:00 p.m. with Raphaël Rubio and Hugo Cazaban against Louis Jover and Alexandre Toppin, plus Romain Vial and Benjamin Tullou against second seeds Lucas Filippini and Mathis Maître.
- 6:30 p.m.: Suzanna/Gourre (TS1) vs Galbusera/Ciaccia
- 6:30 p.m.: Escavabaja/Taieb vs Maturi/Valsot
- from 8:00 p.m.: Rubio/Cazaban vs Jover/Toppin
- from 8:00 p.m.: Vial/Tullou vs Filippini/Maître (TS2)
Bandol's evening schedule promises tight matches because several pairs from the French development scene face each other. For fans and scouts, qualification day is an early test: strong performers gain weight in the pending main draw, where several high-profile French duos are already expected.
Expected main draw and new French pairings
The final FIP Silver Bandol table had not been published at editorial deadline but is due shortly. Thomas Vanbauce with Philemon Raichman, Maxime Joris with Jérémy Robert, Benjamin Tison with Lucas Pillon, and Yanis Muesser with Arthur Hugounenq are especially in focus. For several of these combinations, Bandol marks the first real test at international Silver level. New pairings must show whether training gains translate into points and deep runs under tournament conditions.
Bandol's Silver status attracts a tougher field than Dakar Bronze, so French teams follow different strategies: some chase maximum points in Senegal, others use Bandol's stronger competition as a quality check before upcoming Gold and Premier Padel events. Fans thus get a week with two rhythms—opportunistic point hunting in Africa and a demanding European benchmark on the Côte d'Azur.
Sportingly, much depends on how qualification night performers handle seeding pressure. Suzanna/Gourre and Filippini/Maître carry expectations to reach the main draw without slips. Rubio/Cazaban and Vial/Tullou offer classic outsider profiles that could shake up the table in a single strong evening. Once the main draw is out, it will show whether French favorites meet early or keep separate paths until the quarterfinals.
For the French scene, the week bundles two narratives: established pros in Dakar chasing 40 FIP points and new pairs in Bandol proving maturity under Silver conditions. Both paths shape national rankings and summer planning alike.
