The controversy that arose during the  FIP Platinum Tirana  continues to generate reactions in the padel world. After the explanations of Inigo Jofre , it is now  Fernando Belasteguín  who spoke out on a topic that has been widely discussed on social media in recent days.

As a reminder, the Spanish player  Inigo Jofre , ranked 29th in the world, had participated in the Albanian tournament alongside the Hong Kong player  Lok Hei Jamie Yau ranked beyond 900th in the world and whose performance on the track had drawn considerable criticism.

 "A bad image for padel" 

When questioned about this during an exchange with Pato Caruso, the former world number 1 did not hide his incomprehension.

"How is it possible that an amateur player is allowed to participate in a professional tournament? This has never happened in a Platinum tournament until today. If we want to be a serious sport, this needs to be corrected."

For the Argentinian, the problem goes beyond the simple case of this pair and directly affects the credibility of the professional circuit.

"Things like what happened in Albania show that we are still a sport that has a lot to learn, through trial and error."

 The FIP directly targeted 

Belasteguín believes above all that the responsibility should not be borne by the players who take advantage of the current regulations, but by the rules themselves.

"I'm not criticizing the professional player who agreed. If the regulations allow it and he can finance his season this way, why wouldn't he?"

The former champion points instead to a regulatory loophole that some may exploit.

"The problem isn't the professional player. The problem is that there's a loophole, and some amateur players are exploiting it to be able to participate in these tournaments."

 Towards a minimum ranking to access Platinum? 

Bela goes even further by suggesting an evolution of the rules of the most prestigious tournaments on the FIP circuit.

"Perhaps it's time the FIP implemented a minimum ranking threshold to be eligible to compete in a Platinum tournament."

He believes this measure would help preserve the image of the circuit and prevent significant differences in skill level from appearing in the main draw of a professional tournament.

 A debate that is far from over 

Belasteguín's statements have fueled a debate that has been very much alive for several days. On one side, some argue that  Jofre was simply using a rule authorized by the FIP On the other hand, many voices believe that a  FIP Platinum , the highest level of the CUPRA FIP Tour, must guarantee a minimum level of competitiveness.

One thing is certain: after the reaction of one of the greatest legends in padel history, the pressure is now mounting around the  International Federation of Padel which may have to review some of the rules for accessing its tournaments.

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 !

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