Humans of Padel
Join your host Max Marsh Pickard, General Manager of Padel Art & Co founder of The Padel Outlet in a weekly entertaining dive into the world of Padel and the people involved in the industry
Humans of Padel
A peek into the 2025 Dubai Premier Padel and a review of the 2024 Edition | Ivan Modia - Tournament Director
A scorching debut became a blueprint: we learned fast, listened to players and fans, and rebuilt Dubai Premier Padel into a 7,000-seat indoor experience at Hamdan Sports Complex with four courts, live practice viewing, and better flow from parking to food. Ticket demand is up, vendors are lining up, and the community program is already underway with clinics, wildcards, and activations.
• what worked and what didn’t in 2024
• heat, scheduling, and player safety protocols
• converting practice courts and overnight broadcast fixes
• lessons for fan comfort and venue flow
• why Hamdan Sports Complex and why indoor
• four adjacent competition courts for seamless viewing
• practice courts in the lobby as live activations
• clearer commercial avenue and vendor visibility
• stronger player facilities and recovery areas
• parking, VIP segmentation, and access upgrades
• F&B strategy for all‑day stays
• ticket sales momentum and pricing range
• community legacy program and wildcards timeline
• multi‑year vision and what success looks like
Buy tickets: https://dubaipremierpadel.ae/
Hello and welcome back to another episode of Q1 Paddle. I'm your host, Mark. In this episode, I'm joined once again by Evan Model Join Power of Divide. And also Ivan gives us one button to the upcoming Divine Proper Paddle 2025 edition that has an iconic location. I hope you enjoyed the episode. And don't hesitate to give us your feedback on humans with paddle on Instagram.
SPEAKER_02:Yvonne, it feels like just yesterday that we were doing this before. Thank you for having me again.
SPEAKER_00:I think uh maybe you have enough of me.
SPEAKER_02:Well, last time uh we were here, you know, we we just told your whole story of when you how you got into the industry, how you became the tournament director of the Dubai P1, and it was about a month before the actual event.
SPEAKER_00:So tell us how did it actually go? How did the tournament go? I think honestly, it went a bit beyond our expectations. You know, we knew how strong the community was here, and I believe it was overall a very successful event. We ended up having 24,000 people in one week, which is a significant amount of people for the first time that you do an event. We were in uh digital numbers in reach over the P1 Madrid. So overall, it was a very successful event. And of course, you know, it's always great to talk about the nice things. Uh, but we have obviously certain challenges with the weather, with the weather conditions that uh honestly I am very proud of the team, how we reacted, how we communicated with the tour, how we worked in collaboration with Premier Paddel and the FIP in order to fix overnight, trying to give comfort to the players for them not to suffer with the weather conditions. It was very hot in the morning and uh in the early afternoon, and then it was very humid in the night. So we had to find the spots, and we even transformed one of the training courts into a competition court in order to accommodate everything. So that's I would say, you know, what happens in events and what you have to be ready for. But overall, the result was great.
SPEAKER_02:I mean, you were quite unlucky with the weather. Uh, I mean, I was there at every day at the tournament because we had the commercial booth with the paddle outlet, and we had a great, great time. But it's true the weather was very hot. I don't think anyone was expecting that. And it's most in the 11 years that I've been in Dubai, I can't remember it being that hot in November. So I guess that brought its whole new level of challenges for you guys, and you had to push the timings of the matches, rescheduling. I guess FIP, who was calling the shots on this one? Who was saying you have to push the matches with you guys, or was it the FIP?
SPEAKER_00:No, no, ultimately every every sporting decision uh falls on the FIP and the and the tour. Obviously, the referee is the maximum authority when it comes to sport uh uh in in a tournament. So the tournament referee who is Josa Luis Martinez uh is a fantastic person, always very collaborative, always uh very flexible when it comes to it, and always looking for the best for the players, really, and how to comply with when when when it comes when it comes tough uh conditions like that.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, because I had the chance to participate in one of your events with the players, so I got to hit a few balls with Alejandra Salazar and a couple of the other players, which was amazing. But I was playing on court for 15 minutes and I was drenched in sweat. It was so, so hot. So I can't imagine for the players actually competing and trying to play at that level um in 40 degrees heat in the middle of the day.
SPEAKER_00:No, for sure. You were, you know, obviously the referee was always coming before the matches, and it was coming with the thermometer on court, just making sure that it were not beyond 35 degrees, because if not, it would have to be cancelled. But I mean, I cannot even tell you how much work the operational team put behind it and how many towels with ice we had to prepare. You know, the amount of ice that we spent in the event was insane. More water than in any event that I've done, and I've done big events.
SPEAKER_02:Do you know how many kilos of ice you went through that?
SPEAKER_00:Wow, no idea. Uncountable possibility.
SPEAKER_02:I guess that was an expense that you didn't really plan for initially.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, I mean, there was obviously, and obviously, when you transform a practice court into a competition court, you incur into certain costs because you need a certain standard. I mean, not only because obviously anything related to accommodate um water, ice, extended hours for fishes, you know, because obviously uh muscles get more sensitive, uh they get more exposed. But you know, putting a court together is not only accommodating the outside areas to have the same measures as the as the as the as the competition court, but also putting like a tower for uh broadcasting because you have the you need broadcasting in every court, then you have people who have tickets that really want to watch the matches that are going to happen in a new court where you were not expecting any spectators. So you need to change everything, you need to change your security plan, how to accommodate these people. You need to improvise and put some chairs in order to accommodate these new people because you, you know, we I always say to the guys, it's not that everybody comes and uh and wants to watch Tapia or wants to watch uh, I don't know, Gemma Triae. There's some people that come to watch Javi Valdez. And you need to let them uh be as comfortable as the guy who wants to watch center court, uh, the number one in the world. So that's that's something that is very important for us, and that's something that I think we curate pretty well, that we we want every everybody in the tournament to feel to feel well.
SPEAKER_02:And how about the players? How did they you get any feedback from them? What did they think of the entire event? I mean, the heat aside, they enjoyed it.
SPEAKER_00:Look, I mean, we we got uh messages from the players, from the top players, which were very encouraging and thanking us for the event that we had put together. Uh, like always, you know, most of them were saying, listen, there are things that you cannot control, and uh obviously the weather is one. Uh but I mean we are taking some measures in order to make it better.
SPEAKER_02:Definitely. And before we move on to the to the next season that will be coming very soon, um, the final of last year was it was an amazing, amazing atmosphere, amazing event. Yeah. I mean, I think all of Dubai was there, either in person or watching it. Um, how did you feel like when the match point was over, the tournament's over? Like, how did you feel when you'd finally realized that's it, we'd done?
SPEAKER_00:I I feel happy for the guys. You know, I I I I've had that feeling before, and yes, it's a bit of a relief, but you know, it's our money shot. The money shot was spectacular, everything was according to plan, the players were great. I mean, I think Tapia and Coelho were unplayable that day where they were unplayable, but they were incredible points where everything from the sporting side was great, guys were enjoying, and and uh I always look at the faces of my people when I finish, and I see uh how satisfied they are of making history because at the end it was the first time that Premier Padel was here, it was the first P1 tournament in the UAE, and uh and I said, listen, save for the moment, enjoy it, go and try uh to relax a little bit, and I don't want to see you in the office for five days.
SPEAKER_02:I mean, I guess during that week you guys are working 24-7, right? There's no downtime, there's always something that's going wrong.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, that is correct. I mean, I think um the workload uh is actually heavier at the beginning of the week. There's much more players, much more, you know, things that you have to set up, adjust. And towards the weekend, it's true that you have less players, but you have to be more perfectionist. There's more eyes on you, isn't there? There's more eyes on you, you cannot be wrong, everybody's there. And uh, and I mean, you know, uh I think you always have to be ready for something to happen. And I think you always have to be on your toes, ready to uh find a solution if any problem arises.
SPEAKER_02:So was there a specific problem last year during the premier paddle where you're like, oh shit, like this is a big one, or was everything within your reach?
SPEAKER_00:No, because you know, honestly, I I think the the the biggest problem was those first days that uh the players obviously raised their voice saying this is too hot, we cannot play at this time. We had a meeting, you know, all the parties involved, and it was it was sorted. I mean uh it's it's not critical. Anything in life is critical if you can find a solution. I'm always quite positive. I say, okay, listen, this is bad. What can we do? Yeah. It's about having a quick reaction and knowing what to do when something comes out. So, in other words, I believe there was nothing critical because the event then was smooth. It's not it was nothing that you say, okay, I had a major issue and almost the event had to be cancelled. No, no, it was totally the opposite. I think the team was fantastic, and then and we were extremely happy about the event. And I think everybody was very happy, to be honest.
SPEAKER_02:Sponsors were happy?
SPEAKER_00:Very happy, very happy. No, yes, I mean sometimes you try to explain what you try to do, and explaining in words to people is very complicated. So when people can see it, can feel it, can hear it, then they see that we are that we are trying to be different in in the tour. We're trying to be special, different, have a uh I have a like a premium type of of event that is accessible.
SPEAKER_02:Which is I think yeah, that you I think you nailed it in terms of that was how it was, and it was an exceptional event, and I loved every single day that I was there, and I think most of the people in Dubai loved it and are really excited about this new edition. So now we're what we're beginning of September, we're actually exactly two months away from the first day of the 2025 edition. Correct. How's that going so far?
SPEAKER_00:It's going very well. I mean, um, you know, I I think we mentioned last year, we commented like the um the audience in events, generally speaking, in Dubai, you know, normally tickets get by get bought like really late. No, people wait until last minute, they need to see what their plans are. The offer is so diverse, you have trillions of things to do in Dubai. Uh, but I mean the honestly the ticket sales is are are going incredible. Better than last year? Yeah. Like I don't know if I'm I'm I'm talking on my head, but maybe 35% more than last year. Why do you think people are buying their tickets earlier? Look, I believe they want to secure the best place in the in the in the in the venue. I mean, there is I will reveal later some things that we do in a special this year, but obviously the first thing that I think helps is that not only are we accommodating the event to be an indoor event for the players, it's also for the fans. Because if you had a ticket last year and you wanted to come and watch a good match at 1 p.m., it was not possible to sit on the stands. You know, people would be sitting 10 minutes and go, five minutes and go maximum. Why? It was it was imagine the players, you know. So you were sitting on the stands, you were suffering, you know, imagine the players down there. So we wanted to create a better experience. You know, we discussed with the authorities and and and just let me let me thank them all because you know how D Dubai Sports Council and the UAPA accommodated everything for us and collaborated with us. I mean, I feel that we are the same team, and it's very unusual, you know, if you compare it to European standards. And uh and they say, okay, let's let's use the Hamdani Sports Complex, let's bring everybody happy there, let's make sure that they can watch uh matches from 10 a.m. until midnight if they want to in the first days. And I think you know it it's the experience is going to be way, way better. We're going from a 5,100 capacity court to the biggest ever done in the UAE, and I believe in the region for paddle, 7,000 capacity. So anybody who goes there again will be part of history.
SPEAKER_02:I mean, uh, for those who don't know the Hamdan Sports Complex, it's I think one of the biggest indoor sports complexes in the region. Correct. And it's actually an Olympic swimming pool. Because I visited for the first time a few weeks ago, and I went to have a look, and I was really surprised that there's a huge swimming pool in the middle. I was like, how are you gonna turn this into paddle courts? Like, how many how many courts are they gonna fit in that venue?
SPEAKER_00:And this is one of uh one of the is two good questions in one, I would say, you know, that the first thing is that there's it's an incredible work of engineering what they do. So it takes like a process of around 10 to 12 days, empty the pools, put some scaffolding, foam, layers of plywood, metal plates until you find the right bounce, and then you put the courts on top. So we will we will use the whole ground area where the Olympic swimming pool is, and then they have another pool, and we will put the four competition courts on the same place. So you will have center court on your right and the three secondary courts right next to it. So if you are watching on center court, because the tickets are for center court, and you are what if you are watching on center court one match, uh, and I don't know, again, the number one in the world is playing, but you want to watch number four in the world, you only have to move 50 meters, go across the stand and go and watch the next match. And I think this is something very special that we have the four courts at the very same place to generate an atmosphere that's gonna be, I think, incredible, to be honest.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, and indoor is usually a better atmosphere anyway. The noise will echo. I think it's gonna be a really, really exciting venue. So there's there's only gonna be four courts in use, or is there gonna be additional courts?
SPEAKER_00:No, and I and I think this is something that I uh for those who don't have a ticket yet, this is something that um is gonna be the first time ever in Padeldon that uh you know we're gonna have the practice courts as the first activation in the venue. So you buy your ticket, you park your car, you go through the avenue where all the exhibition is, to the commercial booths, you go through that area and you go into the venue. As soon as you click your ticket, you have in front of you two practice courts in the main lobby of the arena where all the best players in the world are gonna be practicing. Towards the end of the week, a little bit less because you know, obviously they try, they tend to go into the competition courts to practice, but you're gonna have two show courts to see your two favorite players training there. And I think it's only been done in tennis because I've done it in the past in Davis Cup in Torino. And uh we had their scene and everybody, you know, training, and you know, we put some security people around, and they can almost feel the players and see how they are training. And this is actually something that we're very proud of that we're gonna do it for the first time in Padua.
SPEAKER_02:That's super exciting. I mean, a lot of people do like to see the behind the scenes and see how they train and the intensity at which these players train every single day, not just on the court during the matches.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, yeah, exactly. So we put uh in front of screens the behind the scenes, you know? So that's true.
SPEAKER_02:That's literally the first thing you're gonna see when you walk in.
SPEAKER_00:That's that's amazing. And what's changing for the commercial booths? Well, the commercial booth is going is going to be like an avenue. So everything's gonna be much more visible, and everybody, I think the the the the tricky part of the aviation of the club last year, of the or the venue from last year, is that in order to get to the exhibition area, you need to know where it is. You need to follow the signage, you need to go, you need to circulate, and you need to find that beautiful place, to be honest. And you have like a square, and then you have to, you know, more or less accommodate all of the of all of the boots around. Now it's it's very straightforward. You park your car, there's a massive avenue that leads to the venue, and there is boots left and right, and just a little uh a little uh um step, step, step like this with uh with other five boots in the middle for the main partner. So it's uh it's something that I'm proud of because I believe that the the commercial booth area was a good success last year, and it needed some improvements in terms of how all every booth has to be visible and accessible. And now it's I mean, there's no excuse. You have everybody you you you have to park the car. That's for sure.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, I mean, uh hopefully they'll be as good, if not better. I mean, for all of the the vendors, including ourselves. And uh you still have booths available if anyone's interested?
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, but very few. Honestly, very few. Let's less we are there's another thing that we are seeing a difference. Yeah, is uh we have much more requests. Uh we we've been approached much more, and and we have a limited amount of them. I think uh, if I'm not mistaken, we saw six available.
SPEAKER_02:Do you think it's more popular because you did the edition last year and you're building off that? You think that set the foundation? Correct. And you think now people trust, they know what's happening, they know the feeling.
SPEAKER_00:So yes, exactly. I mean, it happened it happens in most of the events, yeah, not only here, but around the world. I mean, when you are doing the first edition of something, there is 70% of the people you approach, they want to see it first. When they see at first, then they approach you. Happens with uh, I don't know, with normal customers, with ticket holders, happens with uh commercial rules, and happens with the sponsors. Yeah. In any revenue stream that you have, you feel an increase in the appetite, for sure. And and and again, like I said, we are here to stay. We had we have one weekly meeting with Premier Paddo, with the tour, with all the different departments from operations, broadcasting, commercial, you name it. And the I said and the general opinion from them is they said, listen, guys, if you are going, if you are going to be able to execute how it looks like, you are going to be one of the best in the world, if not the best. That's what they said to us. What kind of metrics are they looking at when they say that though? I believe the venue design is very important. How the idea around it, the look and feel, how it looks like, but also accommodating everything that is important from the sporting point of view, because in the players area, for example, we uh we're doing a partnership with Matrix, uh, and they put in an incredible gym from with all new, you know, like ice baths, uh, recovery areas, anything that you can imagine. A full private doctor area with a full private physio, three rooms different for male and female, with Aster with our partners. Uh we are doing individual offices almost for each of the teams. You know, that's one good thing about the Hamdan Sports Complex. Normally, indoor arenas have plenty of space in rooms. They are better designed. I think in aviation, uh it's still, you know, it needs to grow. I mean, there's you have to to be very maximize every space that you have, you see?
SPEAKER_02:Yeah.
SPEAKER_00:Here you have the spaces, you have rooms, you know, everything's more spacious. It's it's a different, it's a different event. It's a different event.
SPEAKER_02:I mean, when I first heard that it would be moved from um, well, Irish Village Aviation College to uh Hamdan Sports Company. At first I wasn't too sure about it because I like the Irish village as a venue, you know, it's very festive, it's a party. I love it, I love it. It's outdoors, you know. Traffic is a headache to get there for anyone who lives in Dubai. You know, going north is not great. When you think Hamdan Sports Company, it sounds far, but realistically, even in the evening, going that side of town is more accessible than trying to go towards, let's say, Galhood or these areas, right?
SPEAKER_00:Let's put it very simply. Last year in the aviation, I don't know if my um my numbers are extremely accurate, but let's say that for the public, there was 200 parking sports. That's a nightmare. It's a nightmare. So everybody is dropping off by uh by Uber or by taxi, or and then that road gets collapsed. People arrive late to the matches because obviously they have to do the drop-off very far and everything. So now here at the Hamdan Sports Complex, you have for general admission, I think you have like 3,000 in the main area and then 2,000 in another parking in front. That's a massive difference already. And for everybody that has a VIP, we have segmented different uh parkings. So courtside VIP, because this year we had courtside VIP. Last year, because of the space we could not fit on the sides. So this year we have all the courtside VIP on three sides. They have their own uh hospitality downstairs and they have their own parkings. Then the V VIP and the corporate VIP, they have the designated parkers next to the Royals on the other side. So it's the venue, it is true that you might think, oh, it's a bit offhand. Honestly, I think it's it's it's way better for the spectator to go there as an experience, and you will be more inclined to spend more time there. Because you know what when you are there, what what do you have? Hamdan Sports Complex. That's what you have. There's no restaurants around, there is no so we're gonna create all that whole experience, commercial area, F and B, and anything that is needed for the people to spend the day there. What's the plan for the F in Hamdan Sports Complex? I cannot tell you still, but uh I but okay, we are we are finalizing a deal uh with the um with a very famous operator here in Dubai. That we are uh we are gonna be in their hands, their expert hands. I mean, they are they are popular because they own restaurants, but also they have their catering and and everything. So we're gonna have a differentiated area inside, and then some more specific things. We are thinking about different offerings that we understood last year that people like and players like. Uh so like obviously burgers you have to have, you have to have uh asay and ice cream, very popular, sells very well. Some specialty coffee, very popular with the locals, you know, and I think with the local community. And then, of course, there are like more bigger bars inside, like more segregated in order for people. I don't I don't still know the final menu, but it's like more like populated next to the stands that you can go, like you find in Dubai Duty Free that you have your bars inside, that you don't have to go downstairs and yeah, okay.
SPEAKER_02:So I mean, it looks like people who show up, they're gonna be spending the whole day in uh Hamden. And that's the idea, right? The ticket is for the whole day, it's not split into sessions. Correct.
SPEAKER_00:And and and the two practice courts that I was saying before, I mean, we we want to do things there. You know, we want to activate them. We are thinking on on how, as the days go by, and maybe already the professionals are not there, and I'm training in the main arena, how are we gonna activate those that become an attraction for the fan? An attraction for the person that goes there. If we're gonna do some skill challenges, if we're gonna do, I don't know, like mini tournaments with uh with a raffle, if we're gonna involve the sponsors and they're gonna do something different. So it we need to make sure that there is some interaction. And and the idea is like uh to do an event better and better every year. And I believe that the possibilities that an indoor arena gives you are in a city that the weather is not so predictable, it's are are paramount for us to keep growing for the future for sure. Was there no discussion of like moving the date?
SPEAKER_02:The Dubai, how does that work?
SPEAKER_00:Like when you discuss it with them, do they assign it to you or do you have to yes, yes. I mean, uh the the the there was the two options, right? So that we were thinking about uh indoor as a first option, and then obviously the second option was moving the date. That's something that you discuss with the tour because obviously the tour has to move different pieces, right? The thing is that even if you move the date, you don't eliminate the risk 100%. Let me give you several examples of what happened this year, and uh this is conversations that we had with the authorities, and uh and they were very right to actually pinpoint it. So Riyadh never rains, Riyadh P1 rained, postponed until Monday, the final, I think it was Paraguay. It was indoor, but in a month that never rains, they had a tornado that week. Tornado Chile, let's not forget Chile, Chile P1. Chile, the female final played on Monday was cancelled once at each, and it was the first final in the history of Padel that was not finished, and they agreed to split the points just because of the weather, postponed twice. I don't know what about uh Yadolit, postponed also one day. So expect the unexpected, would be play safe play it safe, I would say.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, I mean it's a smart move, definitely. Uh you're kind of avoiding at least the heat waves with Dubai, but I mean, like I said, even indoor venues, sometimes things can go wrong, and and pushing it later in the year, it's true, you don't have that guarantee that it's actually gonna be any better. And I guess there's only a certain amount of dates as well, because the season ends, and you know you can't push it too far.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, and then and there is a and there is a uh a very important factor, I would say one of the most important factors as well. I mean, fans and players. The fans don't want to be out in the sun, and uh you know, and and and the players, eight out of ten, they will tell you that they prefer to play indoor than outdoor. Then some players that they want to actually give a surprise to one of the top players, actually they prefer to play outdoor because it's more unpredictable, right? But the purists of this sport say, okay, let's play indoor, and there is another thing. Me, if I'm thinking as Ivan Modia, I'm I'm I prefer an indoor event for a certain reason, which is that the show how you can play with the lighting, the courts, the uh aesthetics of it, I like it more. But this is a very personal opinion because because the Bye Duty Free tennis stadium is incredible, incredible in terms of how it looks like, how it is compact, it's beautiful. It's almost like a Colosseum when you're in that center court. It's beautiful. I mean, Dubai Duty Free Stadium is is beautiful, and I really enjoyed it. It this surpassed my expectations by a country mile in the weekend.
SPEAKER_02:I mean, it's probably too early to say now, but do you think the Hamdan Sports Compact will be the venue next year as well? Are you saying like multi-year, or is this kind of like you're gonna see how it goes and then make it?
SPEAKER_00:I think so. I think I think you know, uh this uh post-event. We always have uh meetings with with DET, with Dubai Sports Council and with the UAPA, and and and we sit down, we say, you know, we debrief a little bit, how everything's been, uh what we can do better for the year after, how's the venue been, how's the um sales gone, how and how we can how we can take it for the next year. I don't know. I uh as per today, I don't know. I'm inclined to think that it's going to be so great that yes. But that's me being that's me seeing what I'm seeing every day.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah.
SPEAKER_00:So until you until you feel it, you see it, you never know.
SPEAKER_02:I mean, I'm super excited to think that now we've got 60 days to go until the first day of the event. I mean, already now a lot of people started to call me, message me, like, oh, I want to buy tickets, where can I buy tickets? Last year, on the day of the final, my phone was ringing non-stop Max. I need tickets for the final. It's too late, like it's full. I mean, so many people wanted to come to that final, and maybe why also they started buying their tickets earlier this year to guarantee seats. Because I mean, it is probably one of the top events in Dubai. And you want to be there, right? You want to.
SPEAKER_00:No, no, there are certain there are certain sections that are sold out already. I mean, I I was reading that yesterday or the day below before. I I don't check every day that if I have a section sold out, but I know front stand east or west for the final sold out, for example. I think prime VIP, I think like there's like six tickets available. So I mean it's the the the the tickets are are are selling particularly well for them for the main days, but also the other days is way better than last year. What are your main channels for selling the tickets? Manuel, I was selling through Platinum List. So you can you can you can find the tickets in our website which is dubaiprempadel.te and through Pratimum List, which is our official uh ticket uh supplier.
SPEAKER_02:Exciting. So if you think okay, we've got 59 days to go starting tomorrow, what is what is still needs to be done? What on your mind is like, oh my god, we need to do this?
SPEAKER_00:Look, I think um we need to fine-tune the details. One thing that we that we want to do and we want to keep doing and we are doing is engaging more with the community. I think people are starting to feel that we are not that, you know, stranger international tournament that they come to Dubai and we sit here and we and we don't know who Padelart is or or or the clubs around the city or or who are the players that are in the city, right? So now we have a we have done legacy program here with you in Padel Art, which was beautiful, and we appreciate a lot that all your support. We're doing the second part of the legacy program this weekend. Uh, and then we have the wildcards tournament as well in in three weeks' time. For me, it's like the event already started. So anything that is gonna happen in the main week from the 19th to 16th of November, uh, I think it's just polishing the details. We like to work a lot in advance. I don't like too many surprises. Surprises will always come. Uh but um but but I I'm sorry to insist, but I have a fantastic team that has everything under control and and uh and I and and I don't like to personalize it, but I mean there's a very important person for me who is Jauma Farraz, is the event director who handles the daily operation, and uh, I mean it's he is really the the leader of of the project when it when it comes to lay it out.
SPEAKER_02:Well, I mean, as you know, I'm excited. I think everyone's getting excited. I will put the link to the tickets as well if people want to buy them, as we're still only very few left, especially for the final.
SPEAKER_00:No, and listen, and then there are very cheap tickets as well. I mean, we're selling tickets for 45 dirhams.
SPEAKER_02:So cheap they are.
SPEAKER_00:It's very accessible.
SPEAKER_02:There's not much you can do in Dubai for 45 dirhams. I don't think so. I don't think so. Especially these days, everything's getting more and more expensive. Well, I look forward to having you back here in a year. 100%. And then we'll discuss the second edition, we'll discuss the third edition, and then we'll just every year we'll just catch up because we better get ready. We got a paddle game to play in 10 minutes. So let's see if I play with you or against you, but I'm I'm ready. I'm sure we'll have a good time. Thanks, Ivan. Lovely speaking to you. Thank you, Max. Thank you.