Until some time ago, people in their forties were doing very well on the professional scene, but things are changing very quickly.
While barely three years ago there were four forty-year-olds in the Top 16 and fifteen in the Top 100 of the WPT among men, we cannot really say that this is still the case today.
Indeed, at the time of writing these lines, only Fernando Belasteguin, 44, is part of the Top 16 among the forty-year-olds. In the Top 100, he is accompanied by Miguel Lamperti Juan Martin Diaz, Agustin Silingo and Borja Yribarren. Five players over 40 in the Top 100 is simply three times fewer than three years ago!
And this should not get any better, with the retirements of Pablo Lima and Juan Martin Diaz coming, and the recent confessions of Sanyo Gutiérrez, who feels a little declining.
Among the girls, it's even worse with only four forty-year-olds in the Top 100: Carolina Navarro, Ana Catarina Noguiera, Emily Stellato and Lorena Alonso.
It's good the end of an era in the padel professional, with young players who have clearly taken the upper hand in an increasingly physical sport, as demonstrated tournament after tournament by Arturo Coello and Agustin Tapia among the men!