Some will say that we do too much. Maybe. But Fernando Belasteguin is not a player like the others. He, the record holder of tournaments won, he who remained 16 years in the first place in the world, continues to make us dream.

Fans believed him to be on the decline a few months ago, and yet he shows once again that he can be counted on at the highest level.

intense emotion

Here he is in the final of the Mendoza Premier Padel alongside his partner, the young Arturo Coello, 20, who is in the process of coming to light.

We will have plenty of time to talk about this young Spanish prodigy capable of undermining the repeated offensives of Paquito Navarro. But here we will talk and talk again about Fernando Belasteguin.

A true god living in Argentina, he is packed with more than 11.000 spectators won over to his cause.

We can read a strong and perhaps even particular emotion when he has lived everything. We sometimes talk to him about his end. He does not hide the fact that his years are numbered in the elite of the padel global. He works to live these moments and obviously he hopes that the physical glitches will leave him alone.

FERNANDO BELASTEGUIN

But this work on himself and this choice to preserve himself in order to play as long as possible, he actually began in 2015. While he was in first place in the world alongside Juan Martin Diaz, he made a choice era not always understood: to separate from Juan Martin Diaz, the other great icon of our sport.

They have been so close for so many years. Fans don't understand. It is clear that the choice is not necessarily shared.

THE choice that allows him to be there

In an exclusive interview for Padel Magazine, Bela finally tells us about the reason he pushed him to end his duet with JMD. It was in 2015:

We were the world number ones and I wanted the adventure to end in the best possible way with Juan Martin Diaz and to avoid parting on a bad note as happens on the circuit when things go wrong.

I think our separation went in the best possible way, since we finished together in first place in the world.

Basically, this separation was desired for a reason: I think that physically, I could no longer cover so much ground. With JMD, in my opinion, I took up too much space. And I feared for my physique. Could he follow?

This choice could be misunderstood. But there is a clear logic: I want to play as long as possible.

Playing on the right with Tapia follows this same logic even though I am again a player on the left.

Fernando Belasteguin

After Tapia, Sanyo. What young players! And finally, today, Bela landed with the 2021 revelation, the Spanish nugget, Arturo Coello. The current flows. And each brings to the other what he needs.

Bela, experience, a foolproof mind and the fact of being able to sublimate your partner. Finally Coello, the famous cover that Bela needed to last and continue the adventure among the best players in the world.

Coello Belasteguin

Bela, an incredibly intelligent player, who has evolved to last. It hasn't always been easy, but today he is there; we sometimes have the impression that he discovers or rediscovers the victories, the finals… The public responds present and carries him. And we still hope for a very long time!

Fernando Belasteguin Mendoza Premier Padel
FERNANDO BELASTEGUIN
FERNANDO BELASTEGUIN
Franck Binisti

Franck Binisti discovers the padel at the Club des Pyramides in 2009 in the Paris region. Since padel is part of his life. You often see him touring France going to cover the major events of padel French.

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