Padel, a sport that blends the strategic finesse of tennis with a strong social element, has been experiencing an unprecedented surge in popularity across the Middle East. Its roots are in Spain and Latin America, with Enrique Corcuera Acapulco credited with padel’s inception in Mexico in the 1960s. However, the sport has spread significantly beyond its traditional markets and the Gulf has witnessed a significant uptick in participation in recent years.
There are more than 3,200 courts across Asia, but padel’s footprint is biggest in the Middle East, with 85 percent of those courts in the region. Saudi Arabia alone has more than 320 clubs and 900 courts, underscoring the Kingdom’s status as a burgeoning hub for padel enthusiasts.
Hamad Sulaiman al-Zamil is the owner of Padel Club Saudi, which has facilities in the Kingdom’s Eastern Province and Jeddah. A keen amateur player who first discovered the sport on trips to Spain and the UAE, al-Zamil has been providing courts and clubs for Saudi residents since 2021.
“We have seen rapid growth,” al-Zamil told Al Arabiya English. “I think court booking is a great way to assess the sport’s popularity and our courts are generally booked up two or three weeks in advance. Now we’re investing in more indoor locations.”
“Padel is still on an upward trajectory but I think we are getting to the stage where we won’t see as many new players - however, we will see more loyalty from players who want regular games. There are hundreds of courts in every major Saudi city now and it is also interesting to see them appearing in much smaller towns too,” he said.
“In terms of sport, football is still number one but to get players for a game is not always easy. Organizing four players for padel is a lot more straightforward. A lot of young people in Saudi have tried the sport for the first time in the past few years and this bodes well for the future.”
Padel is often heralded for its easy-to-learn nature and al-Zamil agrees that it is a great sport for beginners, but is also keen to stress that the social side of the game is a key driver of popularity. It is always played in doubles format, on an enclosed surface around a third the size of a tennis court.
“The community element is the key,” he said. “At Padel Club Saudi, we don’t just have courts, we have places where people can have a drink afterwards and sit and talk to their friends.”
“Instead of just going out for a coffee now, people go out to play a game of padel and have a coffee afterwards. Padel is a social activity and I think any social activity built around exercise is something very positive.”
One club member is Fahad Ahmed, a financial analyst living in Dammam. He first took up the game in 2021 and also plays in Khobar.
“My friends got me into it,” Ahmed recalls. “I love how social and competitive the game is. There are a lot of competitions happening here in the Eastern Province and I’m trying to participate in as many of them as possible. It is definitely growing year on year.”
“We are still only two or three years into the game in Saudi Arabia but we are seeing a lot of improvement - both in courts and the players themselves.”
Padel in the UAE
In the United Arab Emirates, the padel market is a little more mature. Of all the padel-playing nations in Asia, only Bahrain has a better court-to-population ratio than the UAE, according to the Federation International Padel’s Research and Data Analysis Department.
Spaniard Sergio Icardo is the UAE National Team padel coach and began playing at the age of 16 with his father. A professional player who still competes and is currently ranked No. 103 in the world, Icardo has witnessed the growth of the sport firsthand in the Emirates.
“I love padel; it’s my passion,” Icardo told Al Arabiya English. “I believe its popularity in the Middle East stems from several factors. Firstly, padel is a simple sport that can be enjoyed by people of all ages and skill levels.”
“The combination of accessibility and strategic challenge hooks players, keeping them constantly engaged and eager to improve. The social nature of padel also contributes to its popularity as it provides a fun experience.
“Padel’s growth has been amazing to see here. It has been a collective effort by clubs and the UAE Padel Association (UAEPa) - and because of that the sport has seen significant development. It’s been inspiring to see how quickly padel has gained momentum here, and I’m excited to continue being a part of its growth journey.”
Icardo is now responsible for developing Emirati padel talent and identifying prospective professionals in the Gulf.
“We’re working diligently, particularly with the younger players, as we believe that establishing a strong foundation is crucial,” Icardo explains. “My aim is to help propel the growth of padel and ensure it thrives within the UAE community, while also contributing to the advancement and promotion of the sport in the region.”
“The talent pool in the UAE and the wider Gulf is steadily growing. You can see that Saudi Arabia, for example, has significant potential for padel growth due to its large population, and increasing interest in sports.”
“Here in the UAE, we’re seeing promising players emerge, and in our academy, we’re working hard to develop their game and prepare them for success in padel, both domestically and internationally.”
Back in Saudi Arabia, there are major developments afoot, led by the Saudi Padel Committee (SPC) - which oversees the sport’s organization in the Kingdom. In February, the SPC brought the elite level Premier Padel series to Riyadh for the first time for its 2024 season-opening event; its next major contribution will be the first nationwide Saudi Padel League, set to begin in the near future.
“There will be an Eastern and Western division and then a national final at the end,” al-Zamil said of the Saudi Padel League. “It’s a great competition to create and comes at a good time as people are always looking to play competitively. Once that begins to mature, we will see a lot more players coming into the game.”
For amateur players like Dammam-based Ahmed, news of the new competition has been met with excitement, with the sport of padel seemingly set to continue on an upward trajectory in the Kingdom.
“I think with the start of the Saudi Padel League, we will see players focusing more on the game and start taking the training more seriously,” Ahmed says. “Plus the good international coaches that are joining the clubs here are a big added value for the players. It’s a great time to playing padel.”
Original Source: https://english.alarabiya.net/sports/2024/06/06/padel-fever-across-region-saudi-arabia-uae-see-surge-in-sport-popularity