While he is now living his sporting retirement from the sidelines of world padel, Fernando Belasteguín remains an influential voice nonetheless. In a recent interview with Twenty Ten, the Argentinian legend delivered an admiring and lucid analysis of the start of the seasonAlejandro Galán, his former rival and now world number 2 alongside Federico Chingotto.

From the outset, the “Boss” did not mince his words:

"It's been a long time since I saw someone fly over their partner like Galán did in the first five tournaments with Chingotto."

A striking formula that perfectly sums up the visual impact and intensity of the Madrid player on the pitch. If Galán impresses with his ground coverage, Belasteguín insists on the mental aspect behind this physical explosion:

“Maintaining this level isn’t a physical issue, because Ale is 29 and can maintain it for three hours. It’s mental. The physical comes from the mental.”

Facing Coello and Tapia, the obstacle is more strategic than technical. According to Bela, Galán gives a lot against the number 1 pair, but the efforts can be in vain because of their ability to shorten the rallies:

"The matches against Agus and Arturo create a mental barrier. Galán makes a huge effort, but those two can finish points in two shots. Over a whole season, it wears you down mentally."

Finally, Fernando highlights the player's instinct, his ability to read the opponent's signals, a talent that brings him closer to the greatest:

"Galán is intelligent. He senses the game. On the pitch, I observed everything: the look, the opponent's gait. Galán, today, has such confidence that he is far above the others. Only Agus and Arturo can really worry him."

A strong statement, which confirms what many think: in 2025, Alejandro Galán may be at his peak.

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 !