Today's Edition
KUUMAR SHYAM (ABU DHABI)
Dubai’s ambition to place itself at the forefront of global padel took a striking step forward as the second edition of Dubai Premier Padel P1 concluded at the Hamdan Sports Complex on Sunday, drawing sold-out crowds and the world’s best players.
The finals saw Agustín Tapia and Arturo Coello lift the men’s title, while Claudia Fernandez and Bia Gonzalez clinched the women’s crown, with Gonzalez also receiving the Oysho MVP Award and Tapia winning the DAMAC MVP Award.
His Highness Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Dubai Sports Council, presented the trophies, in the presence of Sheikh Saeed bin Maktoum Juma Al Maktoum, President of the UAE Padel Association (UAEPA).
This year’s edition stood out for an extraordinary transformation of the venue: Dubai drained the 10-lane Olympic swimming pool inside Hamdan Sports Complex, converting it into a fully-fledged padel arena with seating for 8,000 spectators – the largest indoor padel venue in the MENA region.
Four professional courts, enhanced media capacity and a dramatic, purpose-built stage showcased not only the sport but Dubai’s ability to reshape existing infrastructure in record time.
UAE national team player Fares Al Janahi, who competed in the main draw, said the scale of the event marked a new benchmark for the sport. “Watching these top players play – I even got the opportunity to play with them – is massive for me,” he said.
“It’s always about gaining exposure and experience. These guys have been playing for more than 10 years; I’ve picked up the sport only four years ago. So, I try to learn from them with an open mind.”
He added that bringing the world’s best to Dubai gives the next generation a head start. “It’s a great opportunity for young players to get exposed so early on. I’m really grateful to the Dubai Sports Council and the P1 for hosting such a big event.
“Padel is the most growing sport in the world right now, and one of the most played in this country. We need these kinds of events.” He would know better considering that he played tennis at the highest level in the UAE, which hosts premier tennis tournaments, before injury prompted him to switch.
Al Janahi described the pool-to-arena conversion as an example of the support provided by the UAE leadership in promoting sport. “We’re starting to do events on top of water, on top of swimming pools,” he said. “If you see how they built it, you’ll be so shocked. It took them two weeks to drain all the water, and how they built on top was phenomenal. I don’t even understand how they did it.”
Crowds responded in kind, with Al Janahi noting that “since the quarter-finals, it was sold out – seven thousand fans. Not a single seat was available for the final. That’s a huge milestone.”
Sergio Icardo, national team coach and senior UAEPA coach at Nad Al Sheba Sports Complex, said the UAE’s ability to attract top coaching talent is accelerating player development. “A lot of coaches are coming from outside – from countries where padel has been played for many years,” he said. “Here in Dubai, it’s really good to have very good coaches who know padel for a long time.”
He credited the UAEPA’s grassroots push for building the sport’s foundations. “They are doing a very, very good job. We are working very hard with almost 50 kids,” he said. “There is a ranking and tournaments under the UAEPA, so the structure is there.”
Icardo noted that Emiratis are increasingly competitive, pointing out that UAE won the recent GCC Championship. “UAE has very good potential to grow,” he said.
Both acknowledged the commercial popularity of padel – and the costs that come with it – but expressed confidence in market-driven accessibility. Al Janahi said: “If people are still booking and still playing at this price, it won’t change. The demand is so high – all you have to do is create a court and it will be filled.”
With another successful global event completed, Dubai has signalled its intention to become a permanent stop on the elite padel calendar – and to continue setting standards other countries are yet to match.
