Fernando Belasteguin , offers us an exceptional interview where he returns to the tactical evolution  professional padel, his own changes, his opinions on the various quarrels, but also  his future. 

Despite his victories and records, his motivation is greater than ever.

Ambitious, generous and informative, second part of the interview of the legend carried out with a master hand by  Lorenzo Lecci Lopez. 

To read the first part of the interview, it is by  HERE].  .

TACTICS change

Lorenzo Lecci Lopez:  We're going to talk a bit about tactics. We regularly see you changing sides on the court, which side do you feel most comfortable on today? 

 Fernando Belasteguin : “In Buenos Aires, I hurt my Achilles tendon. After the rehabilitation, I then say to Tapia “you are young, you cover more ground, you play on the left, so I will play on the right”. We played like this for all 7-8 tournaments last season.

This year we had to continue with this system to relieve my tendon, but during the confinement, I worked tirelessly, and I was able to recover very effectively. I felt comfortable playing on the left again, and asked him to change. He accepted, and since then we have had very good results.  I feel like I can play on the backhand side again, as I have done throughout my career. "

Lorenzo Lecci Lopez:  The fact of changing sides during a match is also a tactical alternative to surprise the opponent a little? 

 Fernando Belasteguin : “Yes of course, but as we do regularly, the phenomenon of surprise can no longer be so effective.”

Fernando Belasteguin returns to the left Tapia to the right

The evolution of world padel

Lorenzo Lecci Lopez:  Players are becoming more powerful, the game is getting faster. Players no longer retreat and move forward on every ball. Is this the main evolution of professional padel? 

 Fernando Belasteguin : “Yes, but I think  this is due to the change of ball . The balls are always faster. We must then develop our game with the conditions. So you have to take more risks. ”

Lorenzo Lecci Lopez:  Is it more of an advantage for you, or on the contrary a disadvantage? 

 Fernando Belasteguin : “I don't think about that. I am focused on training well to adapt to this game.  If I refuse to adapt, there is a way out and goodbye. But I want to continue to adapt! ” 

“France, a reference in the growth of world padel”

Lorenzo Lecci Lopez:  When we see clubs like the Pyramides, we can be optimistic about the development of padel in France. What do you think? 

 Fernando Belasteguin : “We are facing the sport that will develop the most in the next 10 years, worldwide. France will be a reference in the growth of world padel. I hope that there will soon be a French player in the top 10.” 

“Leave the bickering and work together”

Lorenzo Lecci Lopez:  We remember an interview in Rome, in which you denounced the conflicts between the entities that run padel. More than ten years later, the conflicts are still there. What is the solution to this situation? 

 Fernando Belasteguin : " If these people want to work to make padel grow, we have to put egos aside and all sit at the same table.  Let no one seek to be the one to be applauded, let egos be put aside, and let all pull together in the same direction.

As you were rightly saying, even with the disaster that occurs when they argue, padel continues to grow. Imagine then if all these people joined forces. They are all people capable of working to develop padel, but they argue while going their separate ways, and they do not agree.

It would be amazing if they would come together, and if we could all work in the same direction. We can do great things. I hope that moment will come within a very short time. ”

Lorenzo Lecci Lopez:  The APT Tour is growing in Latin America and will arrive in Europe next season with large economic prizes. Could we see you on one of the stages of this circuit? 

 Fernando Belasteguin : “I am under contract with the World Padel Tour until 2023. I can't tell you about a circuit I don't play on. The more circuits there are, the more choices players have. But it would be much more interesting for the sport itself, for there to be coordination between all these circuits.

 Rather than everyone shooting from a different side, having everyone shooting at the same place.  May the player be once and for all the protagonist of the decisions of the professional circuits. But I trust the players are realizing that the most important asset on the professional circuit is the players. I hope that in the near future we can make this happen. ”

“The best moment of my career has not yet arrived”

Lorenzo Lecci Lopez:  After you have won everything, what is the goal that allows you to continue training every day? 

 Fernando Belasteguin : “I think the best moment of my career has yet to come.

I train with this mentality every day. In my career I have been fortunate to have the three greatest sensations that an athlete can know. That of losing, because I lost a lot of matches. That of winning and being world No. 1: this feeling few can have it and it's very pleasant.

And the third, the one that punctuates my daily life, is  train every day like it's the last of my professional career. I can assure you that it is this third sensation that has given me the most pleasure throughout my career. ” 

"I'll be back ! “

Lorenzo Lecci Lopez:  Fernando, you came 10 years ago, you are here today, so we will see you again in 2030, or we will have the chance to see you here again sooner? 

 Fernando Belasteguin : " I will come back if necessary in 10 years, I don't think as a professional player, but you will still see me in the world of padel.  I hope that when we talk in 10 years, padel and the Wilson Bela brand will not have stopped growing. I hope that in 10 years padel will be the reference sport worldwide.”

Lorenzo Lecci Lopez:  Fernando, it was a pleasure. We hope you can win for many more years. 

 Fernando Belasteguin : “Thank you very much, I hope to see you again soon. And I hope next time I get access to Wilson Bela t-shirts before you do! I still don't have it! But I hope you can enjoy it. ”

 

Franck Binisti

Franck Binisti discovered padel at the Club des Pyramides in 2009 in the Paris region. Since then, padel has been part of his life. You often see him touring France to cover major French padel events.

On the same subject

Tags