Fernando Belasteguín, living legend of padel, spoke to Brand to look back on the end of his career and his legacy. The former world number one, who dominated the tour for sixteen consecutive seasons, has just published his second biography, Bela, the story continues, where he retraces his last years as a professional player.

The end of an era

The “Boss” admits that he realized, late in life, that his place at the top of padel would never be his again:

 “I began to realize that I would no longer be number one in mid-2023, in the final months of my career.” 

A statement that echoes the moment when Coello and Tapia, two players he himself coached, began to dominate unchallenged. Premier PadelBela recalls that after his serious elbow injury in 2018, he never regained the same physical machine as before.

A model of adaptation

Asked what made him strong, Belasteguín emphasizes his ability to put himself at the service of his partners:

 “I always put my ego aside to adapt to each teammate. The only goal that mattered to me was to win.” 

Alongside Juan Martín Díaz, Pablo Lima, then Agustín Tapia and Arturo Coello, Bela has nevertheless been able to reinvent his game to remain competitive.

Tapia and Coello, the new era

Belasteguín does not hide the fact that he had detected Agustín Tapia's potential very early on:

 “His big leap in quality came thanks to his physical work. Today, he finished a third set with the same intensity as the first.” 

Regarding Coello, with whom he won his last title in Monterrey in 2022, Bela has strong memories and recalls their embrace in Mar del Plata:

 “I thanked them. They allowed me to continue playing at a very high level and they do a lot of good for padel.” 

A smooth ending despite injuries

His farewell was marked by pain: a weakened elbow, a torn hamstring, and even a near miss in a shower. Yet he considers himself lucky:

 “I was very scared that I wouldn't be able to play my last season. Finishing it the way I had planned changed everything.” 

His last match, in Milan, was a relief:

 “I emptied myself, I had nothing left to give. It was a great relief.” 

A look at current padel

With his usual frankness, Bela also analyses the present of the circuit:

 “Today, I think the only ones who play with the partner they really want are Tapia and Coello.” 

A phrase that resonates in a period where pair changes are multiplying on Premier Padel, and where the Spanish-Argentine duo remains the point of stability of the circuit.

With 230 titles, 16 seasons at the top of the world rankings and a confident transition to his post-career, Bela leaves behind the image of a tireless competitor, but also of a baton-passer, aware that the future of padel is currently in the hands of Tapia and Coello.

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