Andres Iniesta swapped his cleats for the pala! The Spanish football legend played his first official padel tournament this weekend, on the occasion of APPT Emirates NBD Masters organized at Padel Art Dubai.

The former FC Barcelona point guard and 2010 world champion, now based in the United Arab Emirates, participated in the amateur category of the tournament, alongside his compatriot Daniel Casanova Bataller. Highly anticipated by the public, Iniesta played in front of packed stands, proof of the enthusiasm that his name still arouses... even on a padel court.

A great journey for a first

The Spanish pair started the competition well, passing several rounds before losing in eighth finals, at the end of a close match against Ben Pringle (United Arab Emirates) et Christos Erics (United Kingdom), on the score of 6/1 1/6 4/6.

Smiling and visibly happy to be playing, Iniesta took the time to chat with fans and other participants. A powerful image that shows, once again, how much padel attracts former top athletes.

Global visibility for padel

The arrival of a name like Iniesta on the Asia Pacific Padel Tower (APPT) current is a major spotlight for the circuit and for the development of padel in the region. Like many footballers, the Spanish midfielder also seems bitten by the padel bug.

Benjamin Dupouy

I discovered padel directly during a tournament, and frankly, I didn't really like it at first. But the second time, it was love at first sight, and since then, I haven't missed a single match. I'm even ready to stay up until 3am to watch a final of Premier Padel !

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