‘I get tired of losing, but I don't get tired of winning’: Gemma Triay on padel, ambition and Dubai

Picture this: you’re playing on a padel court set up in Dubai Opera Garden, with Burj Khalifa lit up on one side, and water swaying from the emirate’s iconic fountain on the other, in the heart of Downtown Dubai.

At the court, you’re accompanied by a group of the best padel players in the world, along with distinguished VIPs that include Spanish football legend Andres Iniesta, former world No 2 tennis player Paula Badosa, and retired Indian tennis star Sania Mirza.

The picture-perfect setting made for a great occasion to mark the kick-off of the Emaar Dubai Premier Padel P1 tournament, which began on Sunday at the Hamdan Sports Complex and will run until November 15.

“We spent a really good time yesterday in this event,” Spanish world No 1 Gemma Triay told The National on Monday, ahead of the start of her Dubai campaign.

“I love Dubai, last year the tournament was really good, but this year is even better.”

Triay is the most decorated woman in the history of professional padel and is in the midst of a hectic triple-header in the Gulf, which started with a run to the Kuwait Major title, alongside her partner Delfina Brea, followed by a triumph with Team Spain at the World Cup in Qatar last week, and now resumes with an attempt at the Dubai P1 crown.

Three important events contested in as many weeks in the Arabian Gulf region before the tour wraps up the season with two final stops: Acapulco for the Mexico Major (November 23-29) and Barcelona for the Premier Padel Finals (December 10-13).

Triay and Brea entered Kuwait desperate to claim the 2,000 points on offer to help them reach their goal of securing the year-end No 1 ranking.

To do so, the Spanish-Argentine duo had to take down the in-form pair of Ariana Sanchez and Andrea Ustero, who had reached five consecutive finals and won three of their past four tournaments.

Triay and Brea came back from a set down to defeat Sanchez and Ustero and claim their second major of the season, and seventh title overall in 2026.

They extended their lead at the top of the FIP Race to 2,780 points, and Triay broke the record for most titles won by a female padel player, capturing her 59th career trophy (36 on the World Padel Tour and 23 on Premier Padel).

Triay and Brea then flew to Doha, where they put their partnership on a temporary hold to join their respective national teams at the World Cup.

The partners turned into opponents in the World Cup final, and Triay found herself in a face-off with Brea, who, like her, was playing on the left side of the court, which meant they would engage in fierce cross-court battles.

“It’s crazy, crazy,” said Triay of having to square off with her partner like that.

Show caption: Gemma Triay and Delfina Brea during the finals of Premier Pa…

Even crazier is the fact that Triay was paired up with her Spanish compatriot Paula Josemaria, who is one of her fiercest rivals, and with whom she had only ever played one match before. Josemaria is also a lefty, something Triay is not accustomed to. The Spanish duo were cruising 6-2, 3-1 against the Argentines before they got nervous and let their opponents back in the match.

Spain ultimately triumphed to claim their seventh consecutive world title, and 10th overall.

Triay admits teaming up with her tour rivals on the Spanish squad is never easy, but one she enjoys nonetheless.

“It's crazy for us, but I think we landed in Doha and in our brain it's like, ‘OK, [flip the] switch’,” she explained.

“It's a world championship; it's a special week, always sharing a lot of time with our teammates. And I think it's not easy to share this kind of week because normally we are competing against them and with a lot of pressure; the [battle for the] number one [ranking] is so close between the three first couples [pairs].

“So yeah, I'm happy for that because I think we enjoyed a lot all the days, always sharing a lot of time together, a lot of love. Yeah, I'm happy, I'm really happy.”

At 34, Triay is the oldest player on the Spanish team, something she joked was jarring to her.

She’s now back with Brea in Dubai, whom she had just beaten in the World Cup final on Saturday, and they will aim to keep the momentum going from their Kuwait Major success.

The Dubai tournament has been going from strength to strength, and this year attracted a lucrative title sponsorship deal from real estate giant Emaar.

The UAE, and the Gulf region as a whole, has become increasingly important for the Premier Padel tour, which is backed by Qatar Sports Investments.

“I think when we arrive in these countries, for me, it's really comfortable; I feel really safe here,” said Triay, speaking on Zoom from her hotel in Dubai.

“The hotels, the food, the facilities are amazing; the people also, they are really, really kind.

“I don't know how many years we’ve been coming here, but since we came here, I can see padel is growing a lot; there are a lot of female players or people that are playing padel.

“I have a lot of fans here, and I'm happy for that, because I see how padel is growing around the world, and in these kind of countries that maybe they aren’t used to playing these sports, nowadays there are padel clubs for women. I hope maybe one day they improve a lot, and I can see also players [from here] playing Premier Padel too.”

Only five of the top 20 women in the world rankings are non-Spaniards – these exceptions are from Argentina, Portugal and Italy – while the men’s top 20 is split almost evenly between Spaniards and Argentines.

But with padel exploding in popularity over the past few years, Triay is certain there will be more diversity in the sport, which would strengthen its chances of becoming an Olympic sport.

Padel is bidding to be included in the Olympic programme in 2032 and has taken initial steps by making its debut in the Asian Games this year.

“I think it's time,” Triay says when asked about padel’s Olympic prospects.

“I think in 2032 could be a possibility, maybe like an exhibition sport, I don't know, but I think it's growing a lot around the world, there are a lot of tournaments.

“I think Premier Padel and FIP, the international federation, is doing a really great job, because there are a lot of tournaments in the same week in different parts of the world. So I think this is the way to bring new players from different countries.”

Triay began her sporting career in tennis before a serious abdominal injury sustained at 18 forced her to change paths.

The Menorca-native was studying in Barcelona when she picked up padel, which was booming at the time, and she never looked back.

She draws inspiration from Serena Williams, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer – she is a Rafa Nadal Academy ambassador and has a good relationship with the 22-time major champion – and dreams of pairing up with Williams on a padel court one day.

Triay got to meet a lot of great people because of her sport and is amazed at how popular it has become at the recreational level.

“Everyone plays, it's crazy, it's crazy,” she says.

“I think it's a sport that it's easier to learn, and to play, and to enjoy, because for example, tennis, it's difficult to play tennis, but padel, it's a small court, it's like two against two, the racket is smaller, so if it's your first time, it's easy to hit the ball, and I think you improve a lot and quickly.

“So for this reason, a lot of people, famous people, or maybe people that played before another sport, I think for this reason, they love to play padel, because they are really competitive, and they feel that playing once a week, for example, they're improving, and they continue with the competition.”

At 34, Triay still imagines herself competing for another four or five years before she switches her focus to her personal life and starting a family.

Retirement is something she discusses frequently with her psychologist and her team because she is aware it requires a lot of mental preparation. She told them that the moment she doesn’t feel competitive, they should encourage her to hang up her racket.

For now, she remains motivated to compete and is intrigued by the challenge of facing the younger generation.

“I always say the same: I get tired of losing, but I don't get tired of winning,” she explains.