Whether we have the rapid rise in popularity in the latest movie, Challengers — starring Zendaya, Mike Faist and Josh O’Connor who become caught up in a messy and contentious love triangle — to pay thanks for the burst of interest in activities involving a racket and a green ball, it’s no secret that the padel community in Dubai has always been a prevalent one. According to the governing body, the International Padel Federation (FIP), padel is now enjoyed by around 25 million people across the globe, and what we know for sure is that after-work drinks have now been swapped for an evening spent on the court.
In a nutshell, padel is simply a racket-based ball sport, commonly described as a crossover between squash and tennis. Similarly to tennis, padel is played within an enclosed space, with a net in the middle and players must pass a ball over the net into their opponent’s side by hitting it. The only distinction between the two is that the walls/fence of the enclosed court is firmly part of the sport’s gameplay. The best part? Unlike feeling the pressure to begin playing tennis like a Grand Slam Champion immediately, padel allows you to let your hair down and have a good time. With that said, here are 5 spots to play Padel in Dubai.
5 Spots To Play Padel In Dubai
Matcha Club
Starting off strong with the Matcha Club. This charming boutique padel club and community hangout is situated in Dubai’s creative neighbourhood, Al Quoz. Known for forging connections, celebrating the outdoors and providing a mindful escape from the hustle, the Matcha Club’s padel courts can be booked on a one-time basis or as packages. Rates start at 400 AED for a standard 90 minutes.
Visit matcha-club.ae
Padel Point
Padel Point, founded by Khalid, Hamad and Butti is the result of Padel players who came together to convert their passion into a profession. Known as the first-ever public indoor padel tennis court, Padel Point is a state-of-the-art facility that is defined by meticulous design sense and structure integrated with professional training and tournaments, superior match-making services, as well as private and group coaching.
Visit padelpointae.com
Padel Pro UAE
Initiated in 2017, Padel Pro is dedicated to building communities where sportsmanship thrives and padel resides and is on a mission to democratize Padel so that everyone feels the thrill of hitting that ‘impossible’ shot and the camaraderie that comes from being on the court. Padel Pro is located in Jumeirah Park and rates start at 360 AED for a standard 90 minutes.
Visit padelpro.ae
PadelX
Best known as the UAE’s first floating padel court as well as the first padel court to open among the surrounding residential and office buildings of Jumeirah Lake Towers. Positioned in Cluster I, PadelX is open from 6 AM until 11 PM and has two courts available for rent starting at 200 AED per hour.
Visit playtomic.io
Ballers
Ballers is a community for fitness fanatics conveniently located in Downtown Dubai with 6 revolutionary padel courts in line with standard international size. The courts are all World Padel Tour officially approved courts and with a mondoturf playing surface. Rates start at AED 180 per hour
Visit ballers.ae
Image: @matchadxb
