Emirati padel champion Aisha Alawadhi on balancing career and sport this Emirati Women’s Day

Dubai: On Emirati Women’s Day falling on August 28, the spotlight naturally falls on the homegrown trailblazers — and the young and lithe Aisha Alawadhi from the UAE National Padel Tennis Team fits the bill in style. By day, the 24-year-old is a sharp-suited Director Of Business Operations at Dubai Airport Free Zone (DAFZ). By night (and most weekends), she’s out on the court, smashing volleys as part of the UAE National Padel Tennis League.

It’s a double life that would exhaust most of us. But for Aisha, this is fuel. “I have a day job… and then after that, I’m instantly at the gym and at my club. It’s essentially my second home,” she said with a laugh.

While the rest of us scroll endlessly on Instagram, she’s clocking hours in training. Hustle isn’t just a buzzword here — it’s her reality.

Padel is not lazy person's tennis:

Let’s set the record straight: Padel is not some watered-down cousin of tennis. Aisha’s heard that stereotype before, and she’s not buying it. “I don’t agree with it either,” she said firmly, during the interview held at the Women’s Pavilion, Expo City Dubai.

Sure, the court is smaller. But that doesn’t make it easier. In fact, the game demands both stamina and brains.

“It has this mental aspect that goes way beyond tennis,” she explained. With four players squeezed into that glass cage, strategy is everything. How do you corner your opponent? How do you force errors? It’s less about brute force and more about chess on legs.

“You really have to build a plan and a strategy… that’s what makes it super challenging,” Aisha said. Forget “lazy man’s tennis.” Try “thinking woman’s tennis” instead.

The power of two

Another thing padel has going for it? Partnership. After years of solo tennis, Aisha found padel refreshing. “I felt like tennis was kind of a lonely sport… but in padel, you have that partner who can lift you up if you’re not playing your best,” she said.

It’s part support system, part friendly push. If she’s flagging, her partner pulls her back up. And if her partner’s struggling, she’s there to return the favour. It’s sport with solidarity, a reminder that even champions need cheerleaders on court.

Cheered on at home

Speaking of cheerleaders, Aisha counts herself lucky to have parents who’ve backed her from day one.

“Honestly, I have the most supportive parents,” she said. They saw how happy the sport made her — even if it meant skipping family gatherings. “They’ve always been my number one supporters. They come watch my tournaments.”

In a world where women in sport often have to fight for basic approval, her story is refreshing. Her family’s message was simple: if it brings you joy, do it.

Wearing the flag, owning the court

Six months into picking up the racquet, Aisha hit a career high. She won a wild card into an international tournament — becoming the first Emirati woman ranked internationally in padel. Not bad for a so-called “party sport.”

Travelling with the UAE flag stitched onto her shirt is, for her, an honour. “It’s been a privilege for me to wear the UAE flag… not everyone abroad is that well versed on the UAE, so it’s nice to feel like I can leave a mark,” she said.

Padel, she added, is uniquely global. The diversity of players she meets mirrors Dubai itself: multicultural, dynamic, always buzzing.

“On a daily basis, I get to meet so many people from different nationalities, different backgrounds and religions,” she explained. It’s sport as a melting pot — something the UAE knows a thing or two about.

Why Emirati Women’s Day hits different

For Aisha, Emirati Women’s Day isn’t just symbolic. It’s a mirror of her life. “The UAE is literally a testament to supporting women and building a future generation of women who are inspired to do whatever they want,” she said.

The UAE Padel Federation has been key to that push, giving women platforms to rise — from local tournaments to wild cards into the international circuit. And the results? The UAE recently landed in the top five at the Padel World Cup.

Life in the fast lane

So, how does Dubai shape a woman like Aisha? In one word: opportunity. “Living here in Dubai is such a fast-paced environment… there’s always a place for someone to be,” she said. In this city, reinvention isn’t just possible — it’s expected.

But don’t be fooled into thinking it’s all glamorous tournaments and easy wins. Her routine is relentless. Day job. Training. Gym. Social life (if she can squeeze it in). “It can definitely be a lot sometimes because you don’t really have time to take a break,” she admitted. Discipline is her non-negotiable. “It’s not just about entering the court… it’s also about the physical training that you do on the side.”

Advice for the next generation

What would she tell the girls watching her smash it out on Emirati Women’s Day? Her advice is short, sharp, and motivational: “Just take the first step. Try the sport, fall in love with it… enter tournaments. It might not be so positive in the beginning, but with time, you start to improve little by little, and then hopefully, one day, you’ll make it amongst the top.”

A role model with swagger

Aisha’s story is the perfect reminder of why Emirati Women’s Day exists: to spotlight women who juggle careers, passions, and national pride — and still manage to ace it all. She’s rewriting the playbook: proving that you can crunch business numbers by day and crush international competitors by night.And in her hands, padel isn’t a “lazy man’s sport” at all. It’s a bold woman’s game — and Aisha Alawadhi is playing it to win.