For the past few months, many players members of professional circuits pack their bags to settle in United Arab Emirates, in particular to Dubai. Jon sanz, Victoria Iglesias, Javi Garrido and many others have thus left their Spanish cocoon to discover new horizonsFor legitimate reasons… or not!

Leaving Spain to have a longer career on the circuit

The movement is no longer anecdotal. Season after season, professional padel sees some of its players moving away from spain, a leading country for padel, to settle elsewhere. And for some time now, one destination keeps coming up: Dubai.

One of the most striking examples of this "exodus" : Victoria Iglesias.
Classified around the 20th place in the worldThe Andalusian woman announced her move to Dubai via his social media, with a speech clear and unapologeticAccording to her, this is not a break with Spain, but a a genuine career choiceOne way to continue to to improve and performer in an environment presented as better aligned with the very high-level requirements.

The same logic applies to... Jon sanzwho also confirmed his intention to settle in EmiratesHis choice is motivated by the desire to reduce constraints of his life as a professional player: full calendar, incessant movements, accumulated fatigue… In his eyes, living in a international hub like Dubai allows for better management of the logistics while remaining connected to personalised tour Premier Padel.

The reasons put forward by these two neo-exiles In addition to those mentioned by their peers: optimal training conditions, stable weather, new infrastructure…and one much more advantageous taxation. The financial question This is, moreover, openly acknowledged by the majority of players leaving for the new Emirati Eldorado.

A padel star is leaving Spain: Javi Garrido is leaving Cordoba and moving to Dubai

Dubai, an XXL training base and ideal playing field

Si Dubai Its appeal isn't solely due to its... living environmentOver the years, the city has become a nerve center for athletes high level.
Le NAS Sports ComplexFor example, it has gradually established itself as a high performance hubfrequented by athletes from very diverse disciplines, including the paddle.

United Arab Emirates today count more than 320 clubs et 950 lands, Almost 30% of all padel courts in AsiaThe country is estimated to have around 250 practitionersAccording to data from the FIPThe Emirates display one of the best land-to-population ratios of the continent, with one plot of land for 10 inhabitants.

Padel is structured there by theUAE Padel Association, affiliated with the FIP since 2016, and officially recognized as a sport by the Emirati Ministry of Sports since 2019. In other words: a institutional project, supported, and thought about the long term.

Padel Dubai

Naturalizations: the UAE's acknowledged sporting leverage

The reasons for these exiles are not limited to the quality of lifeFor a little over a year, the United Arab Emirates have crossed a strategic direction : the sports naturalizationSeveral Spanish players now play under Emirati pavilion, among which Inigo Jofre, Arnau Ayats, Enri Goenaga, Sergio Icardo, Francis Jury or, Nacho Vilariño.

A policy that has grind your teethbut those most directly involved fully accept responsibility. During the 2024 World Cup in Qatar, Inigo Jofre he explained bluntly:

“More than a controversy, this will help move the padel levelIn Spain and Argentina, there are a lot of very good players, but only eight can be selected. That makes the competition more attractive to the viewer »

Same discourse at Arnau Ayatswhich puts things into perspective:

"It happens in all sports. In Football"There are thousands of nationalizations. Since we were the first in padel, it was surprising. Next time, much less so."

Naturalized Spanish Emirates

Behind these choices, a simple reality In the Emirates, these players have a role, a place and a genuine international perspectiveFrom a sporting perspective, the strategy works:UAE national team progresses, gains in credibility and establishes itself as a selection capable of shake up the established order.

Without dethroning spain ou argentinahistorical pillars of world padel, Dubai is establishing itself as a new equilibrium point a base of life andtrainingdesigned for increasingly structured.

The question is therefore no longer whether si The players will continue to go into exile… but How far this movement of the center of gravity will redesign the padel of tomorrow.

Maceo ZERHAT

Maceo Zerhat discovered padel in 2020 at Domaine De Clairis in Burgundy. He contributed to the club's expansion by bringing his energy and curiosity. Padel Magazinehe transmits his antoushiasme and his " Padel"mania" by skillfully bouncing on all the latest news about your favorite sport!

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