The inaugural Dubai Padel Cup, a headline event of this year’s Dubai Fitness Challenge, has left fans in awe of the sport with many predicting it will continue to take the city by storm over the next few years.
Fans have flocked to the sold-out event, which is being held on a purpose-built court at Jumeirah Emirates Towers under a breath-taking backdrop of the instantly iconic Museum of Future, with spectators of all nationalities and ages clamouring to see the world’s best players in action.
“I watch a lot of World Padel Tour games online, so being able to see some of the sport’s greatest players in person was something I was definitely not going to miss. Everything about this event is brilliant. The location and setting are unbelievable,” said Briton Mike Jones, a 49-year-old Dubai resident. “When I started to play in 2016, there were very few courts and the game wasn’t particularly popular, but it has exploded in the last 12 months. If I speak to someone who isn’t already playing padel, they know about it, and they want to get into it.”
Fellow spectator, Omar Zourob, a 23-year-old Spaniard who hails from Malaga but now lives in Dubai, added: “Dubai has done a fantastic job growing the game. There are amazing places to play padel tennis in the city and it is definitely encouraging more players to get out on the court.”
With established fans and newcomers alike experiencing the scintillating on-court action at the Dubai Padel Cup, one of the sport’s best-known personalities, Claudio Bobadilla, the Head Coach at World Padel Academy and a former world number one, believes this week’s exhibition matches have shown what Dubai can do to fuel the ongoing growth of padel around the world.
“For me, this event is amazing. Little by little it will help more people enter the sport, which is still very new in Dubai and this part of the world, but has been a big thing in Spain, Argentina and elsewhere for many years now,” said Bobadilla. “In Dubai we have the facilities to play indoor and outdoor, which is obviously important for attracting amateur players, who will in-turn help drive demand for more events with the world’s best professional players. I am sure Dubai will play an important role in the future of padel.”
The inaugural Dubai Padel Cup has attracted a high-quality roster of marquee partners including Dubai Fitness Challenge 2021, Emirates NBD, WHOOP, Al Tayer Motors, Valiant Clinic and Hospital, Okadoc, Barakat, Red Bull, Fade Fit, and WaterWA. To find out more about the Dubai Padel Cup, visit: www.dubaipadelcup.com
COMMENTS