Hatem Ben Arfa’s new life in padel after a turbulent football career | OneFootball

Nearly four years after his last professional match, Hatem Ben Arfa has stepped away from football and found fresh purpose in padel, competing frequently while keeping a low profile.

According to L'Équipe, he played more than one official tournament per week in 2025, 53 in total, and is ranked 739th in France. He is a member at the Paris Country Club in Rueil-Malmaison, having previously held a licence in Montreuil.

Padel has become a fashionable refuge for former footballers. Referee Roland Mermillod, who sees him regularly on court, portrays a fierce competitor with a strong character in tense moments, yet someone who is fundamentally warm.

Beyond that circle, he has kept few contacts. He declined an approach from Ligue 1+ to join its pundit team last summer and, for now, does not wish to revisit his chaotic career in the media, including fallouts with Lyon, Marseille and Paris.

Frédéric Guerra, his first agent, is convinced Ben Arfa’s intense commitment to padel reflects a desire to settle a score of his own.

A long read, Hatem Ben Arfa, à qui la faute?, explores the enduring mystery around him, from precocious stardom to padel life, via career swings and conflicts.

Source: L'Équipe