Fernando Belasteguín

Argentine padel player From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Fernando Belasteguín (born 19 May 1979 in Pehuajó, Buenos Aires Province, Argentina), known as Bela, is a former professional Argentine padel player widely regarded as one of the greatest padel players of all time.[5]

Nickname(s)
Bela[1]
El Boss[2]
La Leyenda de Pehuajó[3]
CitizenshipArgentine
Spanish[4]
Born (1979-05-19) May 19, 1979 (age 46)
Pehuajó, Provincia de Buenos Aires, Argentina
RestingplaceBarcelona, Spain
Quick facts Personal information, Nickname(s) ...
Fernando Belasteguín
Personal information
Nickname(s)
Bela[1]
El Boss[2]
La Leyenda de Pehuajó[3]
CitizenshipArgentine
Spanish[4]
Born (1979-05-19) May 19, 1979 (age 46)
Pehuajó, Provincia de Buenos Aires, Argentina
Resting placeBarcelona, Spain
Height1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Weight82 kg (181 lb)
Sport
CountryArgentina
SportPádel
Turned pro1995
Retired2024
Achievements and titles
Highest world ranking1.º (2002 - 2017)
Close

At the professional level, he holds various records, including the longest period as world No. 1 (16 consecutive years) and the highest number of titles World Padel Tour (WPT) history. During his career, he won 230 titles and appeared in 286 finals. For these achievements, many consider him the greatest padel player of all time.[6]

Belasteguín became the youngest world No. 1 in history at age 22.[7] Partnering with Juan Martín Díaz, together they had the most dominant run in the sport history, remaining undefeated for 1 year and 9 months and winning 22 consecutive tournaments between September 2005 and May 2007. The pair also hold the record for the longest period as the world's No. 1 ranked team, topping the rankings for 13 straight seasons (2002–2014) and winning 170 titles together. He is the only padel player to have won 11 Olimpia de Plata awards and is a six-time world champion, with titles in 2002, 2004, 2006, 2014, 2016, and 2022. He also holds the record for the most weeks ranked No. 1 in World Padel Tour history.

Career

Early Years

Belasteguín began playing padel in 1990, shortly after courts were installed at the facilities of Club Atlético General in his hometown of Pehuajó, Buenos Aires. At the time, he played football for Atlético, but at age 13 he was noticed by the father of professional players Matí Díaz and Godo Díaz. Shoortly after, he began training and competing with them, first partnering with Godo for one year,[8] and teaming with Matías between 1994 and 1998,[9] competing regularly in Buenos Aires.

Transition into professional padel and first partners

Belasteguín made his professional debut in 1995 at the age of 15, partnering with Matías Díaz. After a brief retirement from professional padel, in which he returned to live in Pehuajó, he received an invitation from Roby Gattiker, who alongside Alejandro Lasaigues had dominated the Argentinian circuit in the previous five years. Belasteguín returned to competition to play a series of tournaments with Gattiker in 1999, including a tournament in France where they finished as runners-up and another at Club de Campo in which they reached the semifinals.[10] In September 1999 he played a tour in Spain with Alejandro Sanz, reaching the finals of the Puerto de Santa Maria and Sotogrande tournaments.[11]

Belasteguín returned to the Argentine professional circuit partnering with Guillermo Demianiuk, and together established themselves as the second best pair in the country, just behind Gabriel Reca and Sebastián Nerone, who were the No.1 team in the previous two years. Belasteguín and Demianiuk also began competing regularly in tournaments across Spain in 1999, and at the age of 20 years he was recognized as the best player in Argentina. Their international breakthrough came in 2000, when they reached the final of the Madrid International tournament.[12] Despite challenging for the No. 1 position in Argentina, neither he or his partner were selected by the national team coach to compete in the 2000 World Championship.[13]

In 2001, he played the whole season alongside Spaniard Pablo Martínez Semprún, one of the most important Spanish players at the time, forming one of the top two pairs in the circuit and reaching various finals against Juan Martín Díaz and Hernán Auguste. Together they won titles in Badajoz, Torre Bellver, Santander, San Sebastián, and Sotogrande. They finished the season ranked second on the circuit, only behind Díaz and Auguste.[14]

Partnership with Juan Martín Díaz

Spanish/International Circuit era

2002

A young Belasteguín and Díaz

In 2002 he joined forces with the naturalized Spaniard Juan Martín Díaz, who was the No. 1 ranked in both international and Spanish circuits at the time with Auguste. Together they would be ranked as the No. 1 pair for 13 consecutive years, holding the unbeaten record with 1 year and 9 months without losing a match, winning 22 consecutive tournaments between September 2005 and June 2007.[15]

In 2002, they first year together, they finished the year as the best duo in the world. They reached the final of each tournament they competed in, losing only three times, one of them against their former partners, Auguste and Semprún. They won the Bilbao, San Sebastián, Altea and Sotogrande Open's, the Torre Bellver and El Puerto de Santa María International's, the Santander Open and the Madrid International's, Barcelona International's, Bilbao II, and Seville International's. With these results, they finished the season as No. 1 on both Spanish and international circuits.[16] They also won the World Doubles Championship, defeating Gaby Reca and Seba Nerone in the final. Belasteguín also competed, and won, the 2002 World Championship with the Argentina national team in Mexico, playing with his former junior partner Matías Díaz. For his achievements, he received the Olimpia de Plata, becoming the first padel player to win the award.[17]

2003

In 2003, Díaz and Belasteguín dominated both national and international circuits, finishing the season as the number one ranked team in both circuits.[18] They won the Melilla, Valladolid, Bilbao, Oropesa del Mar, Marbella, Madrid, and Seville International's, with their main rivals being Gaby Reca and Seba Nerone, once again. One of their few defeats came at the Real Club de Polo de Barcelona tournament, where, despite winning the first set and leading 3–1 in the second, they lost to Cristian Gutiérrez and Roby Gattiker.[19] Their results granted another No. 1 finish on both Spanish and International circuits, which earned Belasteguín a second Olimpia de Plata.

2004

In 2004, Belasteguín and Díaz finished the season ranked No. 1 for a third consecutive year. They won the Bilbao, Melilla, Seville, Valladolid and Barcelona International's, the Cantabria Open, the Cádiz, El Puerto de Santa María, Madrid and Seville International's, and the Madrid Masters. Their closest rivals, were once again Reca and Nerone. During the Valladolid tournament, hours before the quarter-finals, Díaz and Belasteguín traveled to Madrid for the birth of Díaz son, but returned in time for their match.[20] After the end of the Spanish and International circuitis, Belasteguín and Díaz were crowned World Doubles champions for the second time, in Buenos Aires, defeating Reca and Nerone in the final.[21] Belasteguín also won the 2004 World Championship, representing Argentina and teaming with Mariano Lasaigues in the final, where they won their match against Díaz and Raúl Arias without difficulty.[22]

2005

In 2005, Díaz and Belasteguín won eleven of the fourteen circuit tournaments, winning the Barcelona International, the Bilbao Open, the Valencia, Lisbon and Córdoba International's, the Madrid Masters, the Higuerón and Torre Bellver International's, the Islas Baleares Masters, and the Badajoz and Bilbao International's. After a semifinal loss at the Madrid International in September, against Cristian Gutiérrez and Hernán Auguste, they began an unbeaten streak that lasted 1 year and 9 months, during which they won 22 consecutive titles.[23]

Padel Pro Tour years

2006

Gaby Reca and Seba Nerone (left) before facing Bela and Díaz(right

In 2006, they completed a perfect season, winning all 17 tournaments in the inaugural edition of the Padel Pro Tour (PPT), the first organized international professional padel circuit.[24] Their closest rivals, Reca and Nerone, remained well behind. Due to disputes between the PPT, the Spanish Padel Federation, and FIP,[25] Bela didn't participate in the World Doubles Championship that year, but did play in the 2006 World Championship, where Argentina was crowned champion again, with Bela winning its match in the final partnering Mariano Lasaigues.

2007

In 2007, Belasteguín and Díaz won the Córdoba, Barcelona, Madrid, Valencia, Vitoria, Madrid II, Oropesa del Mar, Salamanca, Fuengirola, Cádiz, Palma de Mallorca, Mérida, San Sebastián, Zaragoza, Bilbao, Las Palmas, and Alicante International's, and the Madrid Masters. Their unbeaten streak came to an end in the fourth tournament of the season, in Valladolid, where they were defeated by Cristian Gutiérrez and Seba Nerone.[26] During the season, they suffered only two more losses, both in semifinals against Auguste and Reca, in Seville and Logroño.[27]

2008

In 2008, they extended their dominance, winning the Ciudad Real, Granada, Santander, Barcelona, Majadahonda, Logroño, Vitoria, Comunidad de Madrid, Marbella, Fuengirola, Benicasim, Mallorca, Mérida, San Sebastián, Zaragoza, and Bilbao International's. The Fuengirola tournament win marked their 100th title won as team, won in the same venue where they first competed together.[28] Despite a surprising elimination in the group stage at the Madrid Masters, they finished the season as the number one ranked team for a seventh consecutive year.[29] Belasteguín didn't compete in the 2008 World Championship nor the World Doubles Championship held in Calgary.

2009

The 2009 season began with two consecutive semifinal defeats, first in Granada against Matí Díaz and Miguel Lamperti, followed by a loss to Juani Mieres and Pablo Lima in Madrid.[30] They reacted winning the Barcelona, Córdoba, Valladolid, and Alicante International's, but were eliminated in the quarterfinals of the Madrid International by Mieres and Lima. They won the Marbella International, but were eliminated in the next four tournaments, with losses in the Fuengirola and Islas Baleares finals, and the Castellón and Sevilla semifinals. They responded with five straight title wins in the San Sebastián, Zaragoza, Bilbao, Valencia, and Ciudad Real International's. They were forced to miss tournaments in La Rioja and A Coruña do to injuries,[31] but returned in Salamanca, reaching the final but losing it to Mieres and Lima. They finished the season winning the Madrid Masters, and securing their eighth consecutive first place rank in the international circuit.[32]

2010

In 2010, they missed the first two tournaments of the season due to a Belasteguín's injury, with Díaz temporarily competing Roby Gattiker.[33] In their reuturning tournaments, in the Mar del Plata and Ciudad Real International's, Belasteguín and Díaz reached the semifinals and were eliminated in the quarterfinals, respectively. They won the San Sebastián International, but in Madrid were eliminated in the semifinals by the second ranked pair, Mieres and Lima. They won the next six International's in Barcelona, Alicante, Madrid, Castellón, Marbella, and Fuengirola. Despite an unexpected loss, in the Palma de Mallorca semifinals and a defeat in the Seville final, they won the four more International tournaments in Pamplona, Bilbao, Murcia, and La Rioja, and finished the season winning the Madrid Masters. They finished the season as the number one ranked team.[34]

2011

In 2011, Belasteguín and Díaz started the season with a loss in the Mendoza International final, against Juani Mieres and Pablo Lima.[35] They didn't compete in Tarragona due to Belasteguín's injury,[36] but returned winning two consecutive titles, the Madrid and Barcelona International's. They were eliminated in the Córdoba International quarterfinals by Sanyo Gutiérrez and Seba Nerone, but responded winning the Valladolid, Alicante, Castellón, and Marbella International's. In Fuengirola, they were surprisingly defeated in the round-of-16,[37] but rebounded winning the Gijón International. They lost in Palma de Mallorca to Nerone and Gutiérrez, but finished the season winning the Seville, Madrid, Bilbao, Logroño, and Vitoria-Gasteiz International's. Their final match of the year was a quarterfinal loss at the Madrid Masters against Reca and Silingo.[38]

2012

The 2012 season was the most difficult for the pair so far, beginning with a loss in the final of the Mendoza International, and followed by a win in the Buenos Aires International. Belasteguín and Díaz competed in the World Doubles Championship in Barcelona, having missed the 2006, 2008, and 2010 editions due to disputes between PPT and FIP. They were eliminated in the quarterfinals by Cristian Gutiérrez and Fernando Poggi.[39] They responded winning the Madrid, Barcelona, Córdoba, and Valladolid International's. A semifinal loss in Alicante against Nerone and Gutiérrez didn't affect them, as they won the next four International's tournament in Marbella, Fuengirola, Mallorca, and Ibiza. They didn't compete in Acapulco, returning in the Madrid International, and winning it.[40] Due to a Belasteguín's injury, they didn't compete in Seville and were eliminated in the quarterfinals of the Valencia International by a young Paquito Navarro.[41] The injury also forced Belasteguín to miss tournaments in Bilbao, La Rioja, and the Madrid Masters. Despite not competing in the last three tournaments, Belasteguín and Díaz had already secured the number 1 Ranking, finishing the season as the No. 1 team for the eleventh consecutive year and reaching a decade as the top pair in professional padel.[42]

World Padel Tour

2013

Juan Martin Díaz, who along with Bela, was number one ranked for thirteen seasons

In 2013, Belasteguín and Díaz joined the newly created World Padel Tour (WPT), an international professional circuit that aimed to expand padel on a global level.[43] They began the season, winning the Murcia, Seville, Cáceres, and Barcelona Open's. Their first defeat of the season came in the final of the Madrid Open, in Caja Mágica, against the No.2 ranked pair, Pablo Lima and Juani Mieres.[44] The defeat was followed by a first-round elimination in A Coruña Open. Belasteguín missed the Santander Open due to injury, returning in the Puerto de Santa María Open and losing in the semifinals, leaving the No. 1 Ranking under threat.[45] Bela and Díaz, answered by winning the Málaga, Castellón, La Nucia, Bilbao, and Granada Open's, defeating Lima and Mieres in the last final and securing the first Ranking position.[46] In the last five tournaments of the season, they won the first in Lisbon, but were defeated in Las Palmas and Valencia, were eliminated in the quarterfinal in the Buenos Aires and Córdoba Open's, and finished the season with a semifinal loss against Lima and Mieres at the Master Finals.

2014

They began the season defeating Lima and Mieres in the finals of the Barcelona and Badajoz Open's. They briefly lost the No. 1 Ranking for one week, but regained it winning the Córdoba Open.[47] They finished runners-up in Castellón and were eliminated from the Málaga Open by Sanyo Gutiérrez and Maxi Sánchez. Belasteguín and Díaz won the Marbella Open, giving Belasteguín's its 165th professional title.[48] Before the Alicante Open, where they lost in the final to Lima and Mieres, Belasteguín and Díaz announced that they would part ways at the end of the season.[49] Despite the announcement, they won four more titles in Alcobendas, Seville, Lisbon, and Tenerife Open's. They finished runners-up in the Valencia Open, against Maxi Grabiel and Paquito Navarro and did not compete in San Fernando. Their last title win came in the Córdoba Open. They played their last game together, in the Madrid Master Final, where they reached the final but were defeated by Sanyo and Sánchez.[50]

During their thirteen seasons together, Belasteguín and Díaz finished every year as the first ranked pair. They competed in 176 major finals and won 156 titles, a record that remains unmatched in professional padel.

Partnership with Pablo Lima

2015

Pablo Lima, who along with Bela, was number one ranked for three years

Following the separation with Juan Martín Díaz, Belasteguín's first-choice partner for 2015 was Pablo Lima, with Sanyo Gutiérrez as a second option if Lima declined.[51] Lima accepted the offer, ending his six-year partnership with Juani Mieres. Lima–Mieres were known as “Los Príncipes” (“The Princes”), while Belasteguín and Díaz were nicknamed “Los Reyes” (“The Kings”). Mieres subsequently partnered with Juan Martín Díaz.[52] Belasteguín and Lima began the season in the Barcelona Open, reaching the semifinals, but were forced to withdraw due to an injury sustained by Lima.[53] While Lima recovered, Belasteguín competed in the next two tournaments with Willy Lahoz, winning both.[54] With Lima's return, thy won their first title together in the Río Gallegos Open, beating Maxi Sánchez and Sanyo Gutiérrez in the final. After this win, they began a dominant run, winning the next five Open tournaments in Valladolid, Mallorca, Málaga, La Nucía, and Monte Carlo.

In the Mallorca, Málaga, and La Nucía finals, they defeated Sánchez and Belasteguín's former partner, Juan Martín Díaz.[55][56] Their winning streak ended in the Madrid Open, where they were eliminated in the first round via walkover, due to a Belasteguín injury.[57] They returned to competition winning five consecutive Open's, in Seville, A Coruña, Dubai, Euskadi, and Valencia. They finished the season in the Madrid Master Final, where they were forced to withdraw in the semifinals against Díaz and Sánchez, due to a Lima injury.[58] Belasteguín finished the season as the ranked No. 1, having won 13 out of 16 tournaments, with all three defeats coming from injury withdraws.

2016

Lima and Bela began the new season winning the Gijón Open.[59] During the Valencia Master, Belasteguín and Lima were eliminated in the semifinals by Paquito Navarro and Sanyo Gutiérrez, their main rivals during the 2016 and 2017 seasons.[60] They responded winning the Barcelona Master, and the Las Rozas de Madrid, Palma de Mallorca, Valladolid, and Las Palmas Open's. In three of these five finals, they defeated Paquito and Sanyo. The winning streak ended in the La Nucía Open, where they were forced to withdraw from the final.[61]

Belasteguín and Lima won the next four tournament finals, with three of them being against Paquito and Sanyo. Despite not competing in the Mendoza Open due to a Belasteguín injury, they won the Buenos Aires Master and the San Sebastián Open, defeating Navarro and Gutiérrez in both finals. They concluded the season reaching the semifinals of the Master Final.[62] With 12 out of 16 tournaments won, with Pablo Lima, Belasteguín reached 15 consecutive years as the world No. 1 ranked, for which he was presented with a commemorative plaque by the World Padel Tour.

2017

The 2017 season with Belasteguín and Lima losing two consecutive finals to Paquito Navarro and Sanyo Gutiérrez.[63] They responded winning the Barcelona Master and the A Coruña Open, but were forced to withdraw from the final of the Valladolid Open due to a Belasteguín injury, which gave Navarro and Gutiérrez their third title of the season.[64] With Belasteguín injured, they missed the one more tournament, the Mijas Open, and returned to competition in the Gran Canaria Open, exiting in the quarterfinals. In the Alicante Open, Belasteguín and Lima reached the final, and avenged their defeats, beating Paquito and Sanyo to win the tournament.[65]

At the Seville Open, the two teams faced off once again in the final. Before the final, each team had reached six finals and won three titles during the season. Navarro and Gutiérrez won the match, with Navarro lifting the trophy in his hometown. Belasteguín and Lima avenged the loss, defeating them in the Portugal Master final.[66] They faced each other again in the Andorra Open final, losing it and now having one less title than Paquito and Sanyo. After beating Navarro and Gutiérrez in the Granada Open final, both teams were tied with ten finals contested and five titles each.[67]

With four tournaments remaining, Belasteguín and Lima won the Zaragoza Open, defeating the third-ranked pair of Matías Díaz and Maxi Sánchez. They followed it, winning the Buenos Aires Master, beating Navarro and Gutiérrez in the final and extending their advantage in the No. 1 Ranking race.[68] Despite losing the Bilbao Open, reaching the final secured them the No. 1 Ranking. At the Master Final, Belasteguín and Lima avenged the previous loss to Díaz and Sánchez in the finals of the tournament, closing the season with eight out of sixteen tournaments won.[69]

Injuries and final seasons with Pablo Lima

2018

Belasteguín and Lima had a difficult start of the season, in the dispute to retain No.1 Ranking for a fourth consecutive year. They started the season being unexpectedly eliminated in the semifinals of the Catalonia Master, by Juan Lebrón and Juan Belluati.[70] Despite winning the Alicante Open, they failed to win any of the next three tournaments. They didn't compete in the Zaragoza Open, were eliminated in the quarter-finals of the Jaén Open, and exited in the round of 16 at the Valladolid Open.[71]

These results allowed Sanyo Gutiérrez and Maxi Sánchez, who had won three of the first five tournaments, to threaten the No. 1 position that Belasteguín had since 2002. Belasteguín and Lima responded winning the Valencia Master, which allowed to distance themself in the Ranking race,[72] and winning the Båstad Open, defeating Juan Martín Díaz and Paquito Navarro in the final.[73] During the Mijas Open, Belasteguín suffered a severe elbow injury that forced the team to withdraw from the quarter-finals. Halfway through the season, they remained ranked No. 1, though Gutiérrez and Sánchez had reached six finals and won four titles compared to Belasteguín and Lima's three finals and two titles.[74]

The injury Belasteguín sustained in Mijas, sidelined him for several months, forcing him to miss the Andorra and Lugo Open's, the Portugal Master, the Granada Open and Euskadi Open's, the Argentina Master, and the Murcia Open. During this period, Bela briefly considered retiring. After the Andorra Open, Lima temporarily held the No. 1 Ranking alone,[75] but after Gutiérrez and Sánchez won the Portugal Master, Sánchez assumed the No. 1 Ranking, a position which he and Sanyo would retained for the rest of the season, ending Belasteguín's 15-year reign as the world number one ranked player. While Belasteguín recovered, Lima competed with Agustín Gómez Silingo and Paquito Navarro, winning the Bilbao Open and reaching the final of the Murcia Open with the latter.[76][77]

After a four-month absence, Belasteguín returned in the final tournament of the season, the 2018 Madrid Master Final,[78] reuniting with Lima. They reached the final, and defeated the new No. 1 ranked team, Sanyo and Maxi (7–6, 6–3).[79] After the match, Belasteguín revealed that during his recovery he had considered retirement, crediting his return to a note given to him by his daughter Sofía: “A Belasteguín never gives up.”

"Fifteen days ago, I didn't know if I could play again or if I'd end up in surgery, risking it being the end. The doctor, Juan Erquicia, who's here, told me that when he saw how the injury was progressing, he thought it was going to be the end. We've worked day and night so that this tendon will at least allow me to be back on the field. I want to share this with the whole team and my family, but especially with my three children. I can assure you that children, who aren't as jaded as we adults are —we're the ones who have to raise them— are the ones who teach us so much more. One day, about a month ago, my daughter came home from school, perhaps seeing that I was feeling down, and brought me a little piece of paper. I told her I was going to put it in my bag and that I was sure it would bring me luck if I ever played again. It's something I always tell my children: that whatever happens, they should never give up. Sofi, thank you so much; a Belasteguín never gives up."

2019

Bela and Lima in a match with Paquito and Lebrón.

In 2019, Belasteguín continued competing with Pablo Lima, aiming to reclaim the No. 1 Ranking. They began the season with two semifinal losses, in the Marbella Master and the Logroño Open, losing on both occasions to Juan Lebrón and Paquito Navarro. They reached the final of the Alicante Open, but again lost to Lebrón and Paquito.[80] They reached two more semifinals, in the Vigo and Jaén Open's, again losing to Lebrón and Navarro. Due to these results, Belasteguín opted to end the partnership, with both players agreeing to complete together at the Buenos Aires Master, Valladolid Master, and Båstad Open, before breaking up.[81] At the Buenos Aires Master, they reached the final, where they faced Alejandro Galán and Juani Mieres. However, Belasteguín was forced to withdraw in the first set, with a 5–5 score, due to injury. The same injury caused him to miss the Valladolid, Båstad, and Valencia tournaments, making the Buenos Aires final their last match together.[82]

Belasteguín and Lima concluded their partnership with three consecutive seasons as the top-ranked team. They played 44 finals and won 35 titles together.[83]

Partnership with Agustín Tapia

Augustin Tapia, who partnered Bela in two seasons.

After months of speculation, young prospect Agustín Tapia became Fernando Belasteguín's new partner for the second half of the season, with Belasteguín moving to the drive position (playing on right), for the first time in his professional career.[84] The partnership had one of the largest age differences in the circuit, with a 20 years difference between the two players. They debuted in the Mijas Open, exiting in the round of 16. In their second tournament together, they surprised winning the Madrid Open. During the tournament, they defeated the No. 2 ranked team Paquito Navarro and Juan Lebrón in the round of 16, Franco Stupaczuk and Matí Díaz in the quarterfinals, Javier Ruiz and Uri Botello in the semifinals, and defeated the No. 1 ranked Sanyo Gutiérrez and Maxi Sánchez in the final, winning their first tournament together.[85]

They reach the next four tournaments semifinals, but were unable to reach another final. They were defeated by Alejandro Galán and Pablo Lima in the Portugal Master,[86] by Sanyo Gutiérrez and Maxi Sánchez in the Menorca Open, and by Paquito Navarro and Juan Lebrón at both Córdoba and São Paulo Open's.[87] At the Mexico Open, the last tournament before the Master Finals, they were unexpectedly eliminated in the round of 16. At the Master Finals, they defeated the new No. 1 ranked team, Lebrón and Paquito, in the semifinals, but lost in the final against Galán and Lima.[88] They ended the season ranked fourth as a pair, with Belasteguín finishing seventh in the individual Ranking.

2020

Belasteguín and Tapia continued together in 2020, starting as the No. 5 ranked pair due to other players changing partner, and forming new teams. The season was heavily affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and only had 11 tournaments. They began the new season, losing in the quarter-finals of the Marbella Master, shortly before the circuit was suspended.[89] After a three-month hiatus, they rturned to competition in the Madrid Open, again losing in the quarterfinals. In the third tournament of the season, also in Madrid, the Argentine duo reached the final, where they lost to the No. 1 ranked team, Galán and Lebrón.[90] They had two more quarter-final exits in the Adeslas and Valencia Open's.

In the only international tournament of the season, the Sardinia Open, Belasteguín and Tapia won their second title together, defeating Javier Ruiz and Uri Botello in the final.[91] In next four tournaments, they reached the final of the Menorca Open, but once again were defeated by Sanyo Gutiérrez and Franco Stupaczuk,[92] followed by a semifinal loss in the Barcelona Master, a withdrawal from the Alicante Open due to contracting COVID-19, and a quarterfinal exit in the Las Rozas Open.

They entered the Master Finals as the No. 3 ranked team. Before their quarter-final match, Belasteguín and Tapia announced in an emotional video that the tournament would be their last together.[93] They went on to defeat Stupaczuk and Gutiérrez in the semifinals and then overcame the No. 1 ranked Galán and Lebrón, 6–3, 7–6 in the final, which concluded with a 24-point tie-break. With the win, Belasteguín became the oldest Master Final champion, with 41 years, while Tapia became the youngest, at 21 years.[94]

They finished the season ranked second as a pair, with both ranked third individually.

Partnership Sanyo Gutiérrez

2021

A few days after the Master Final, Belasteguín announced Sanyo Gutiérrez as his new partner for the 2021 season.[95] Having failed to regain the world No. 1 Ranking in the two previous seasons, Bela and Sanyo had the goal of challenging Juan Lebrón and Alejandro Galán for the first Ranking spot. They made their debut in the Madrid Open, defeating Alex Ruiz and Franco Stupaczuk in a three-set final to win the tournament.[96] At the Alicante Open, they were eliminated in a quarter-finals rematch against the same opponents, but returned in the Vigo Open, defeating Paquito Navarro and Martín Di Nenno in the final to win their second title of the season.[97] During the Santander Open, Belasteguín suffered an injury that forced him and Sanyo to withdraw in the semi-finals, causing him to also miss the Marbella Master.[98] They returned in the Valladolid Master, but were eliminated in the semi-finals, against Maxi Sánchez and Lucho Capra.[99]

At the Valencia Open, the seventh tournament of the season, Belasteguín and Gutiérrez reached the final, where they would face Lebrón and Galán, marking the first time in the season, that the top two seeds met in a final.[100] Both teams entered the match with similar results, the Spanish duo had won three tournaments and the Argentinians two. After a very contested three-set match, Belasteguín and Gutiérrez won the tournament, reducing the distance between the two teams in the Ranking.[101] They finished the first half of the season with a loss to Lima and Agustín Tapia in the Las Rozas Open final, and a quarter-final loss in the Málaga Open.

After a month break, Bela and Sanyo competed in the Cascais Masters with the possibility of reaching the No. 1 race position, if they won the tournament,[102] but were unexpectedly eliminated in the first round. The bad results continued with a round-of-16 elimination in the Sardinia Open and a quarter-final defeat in the Barcelona Master against Navarro and Di Nenno, who went on to win the tournament and surpass them in the Race standings.[103] Following the loss, Belasteguín informed Gutiérrez of his decision to end their partnership, making the Lugo Open their last tournament together.[104] They were eliminated in the quarter-finals, which allowed Navarro and Di Nenno to surpass them to second place in both Ranking and Race.[105] Belasteguín and Gutiérrez concluded their partnership as the third ranked pair, and were ranked sixth and fifth individually, respectively.

Partnership with Arturo Coello

With five tournaments remaining, Belasteguín announced that Arturo Coello would be his next partner.[106] They made their debut as the sixth seeded team, in the Menorca Open, being eliminated in the round of 32. As a result, Belasteguín dropped to 7th place in the Ranking, while Tapia and Sanyo Gutiérrez moved to 5th and 6th, respectively.[107] In the Córdoba Open, Belasteguín and Coello faced Belasteguín's last two partners, Sanyo and Tapia, in the quarter-finals, advancing to the semi-finals where they lost to Paquito Navarro and Martín Di Nenno.[108]

They finished the season with quarter-final exits in the Córdoba and Malmö Open's, and a round of 16 elimination at the Mexico Open. In the Barcelona Master Final, Belasteguín and Coello lost to Navarro and Di Nenno in the quarter-finals.[109] Despite not winning a title and Belasteguín finishing the season ranked 9th individually, the results were satisfactying enough to continue together one more season.

2022

Belasteguín and Coello started 2022, ranked seventh as a team, with them gradually improving their position during the year. They started the season winning the Miami Open.[110] However, in the next three tournaments, they suffered a round of 16 loss and two quarter-final losses. They competed in the inaugural Premier Padel tournament, the Doha Major, reaching the quarter-finals. They improved their results reaching the Brussels Open and Premier Padel's Italy Major semi-finals,[111] but in the next two tournaments, they were again defeated in the quarter-finals.

At the Vienna Open, Belasteguín and Coello reached the semi-finals, but were defeated by the number one ranked, Alejandro Galán and Juan Lebrón.[112] In the French Open, they only managed to reach the quarter-finals, but in the following tournament, the Valladolid Master, they advanced to the final,[113] were they were defeated by Galán and Lebrón.[114] In the next two World Padel Tour tournaments, Belasteguín and Coello were eliminated in the quarter-finals in the first and suffered an unexpected first-round exit in the second. Between both events, they competed in the Premier Padel Paris Major, reaching the quarter-finals.

During the World Padel Tour summers break, Bela and Díaz competed in Premier Padel tournaments, reaching the quarter-finals of Madrid P1 and the final of the Mendoza P1.[115] They returned to World Padel Tour, competing in the Cascais and Swedish Open's, reaching the semi-finals in both tournaments.[116]

In the last third of the season, Belasteguín and Coello improved their performances. They won the Madrid Master, defeating the top ranked team, Alejandro Galán and Juan Lebrón in the semi-finals,[117] and won the Amsterdam Open, after defeating Franco Stupaczuk and Pablo Lima in the final.[118] Bela and Coello also reached the final of the Santander Open, but were defeated by Paquito Navarro and Martín Di Nenno.[119] In the next two tournaments, they reached the semi-finals of the first and suffered an unexpected round of 16 elimination of the second. They reached their seventh final of the season in the Buenos Aires Master, where they were defeated by Galán and Lebrón,[120] who had also eliminated them in the semi-finals of Premier Padel New Giza P1.[121] Before the Buenos Aires Master, Belasteguín represented Argentina and won the World Championship.[122]

Before the Barcelona Master Final they competed in two Premier Padel tournaments, winning the Mexico Major, defeating Franco Stupaczuk and Pablo Lima in the final, and reaching the semi-finals of the Milano P1.[123] At the Master Final, Belasteguín and Coello were eliminated in the quarter-finals, finishing the season as the third-ranked team, slightly behind the second-ranked, Sanyo Gutiérrez and Agustín Tapia.[124]

Return with Sanyo and run with Mike Yanguas

2023

In the 2023 season, Coello partnered with Tapia, while Belasteguín reunited with Sanyo Gutiérrez.[125] The Argentine world champions began the season facing Martín Di Nenno and Franco Stupaczuk twice, in the quarter-finals of the Abu Dhabi Master and losing the final of Premier Padel Qatar Major.[126] However, a combination of injuries and early eliminations in the next four tournaments led team to part ways in April.[127]

Belasteguín teamed with Mike Yanguas for the rest of the season. Although they didn't reach any final, their World Padel Tour results improved, reaching various quarter-final and a semi-final in the Denmark Open, before an injury forced Belasteguín to miss the French Open.[128] Next, they reached the semi-finals of Premier Padel's Rome Major and further quarter-final across both circuits.[129] In September, they competed in the Paris Major, organized by Premier Padel at Roland Garros, reaching the quarter-finals.[130] An injury caused Belasteguín to miss the next five tournaments. As a result, he failed to qualify for the Master Final for the first time in his career.[131] They played their last tournament together in the Milan P1, exiting in the round of 16.[132] After finishing the season without a title, for the first time in twenty five years, Belasteguín announced that 2024 would be the final year of his professional career.[133]

Different partners and final year

In 2024, he chose left-handed player Lucho Capra as his partner for the final season of his career.[134] They began the season as the eighth-ranked team, however, bad results in the first three tournaments led to their separation.[135]

An injury forced him to miss the next two tournaments, with Belasteguín returning in the Seville P2, with new partner Juan Tello. They entered the tournament as the fifth seed, but were knocked out in the round of 32.[136] Their best period came between May and early June, with Belasteguín's first quarter-final appearance of the season at Asunción's P2, followed by two more quarter-finals at Mar del Plata and Santiago P1's. Their best performance came at the Bordeaux P2, where they entered as the top seeds but were eliminated in the semi-finals after a third-set tie-break.[137] They were unable to maintain the good results, reaching the summer break with only one quarter-final in four tournaments. After the break, their best performance came at the Rotterdam P1, where they reached the quarter-finals, against Franco Stupaczuk and Mike Yanguas, and nearly advanced to the semi-finals.[138] Following a disappointing result in the next tournament, they opted to end the partnership, with Belasteguín choosing Valentino Libaak as his last partner.[139]

Belasteguín and Libaak debuted at the Paris Major, in Roland Garros, but were eliminated in the first round. In the next four tournaments, they obtained mixed results, reaching the quarter-finals only once. Belasteguín played his final tournament at the Milan P1, exiting in the round of 16 and officially, ending his padel career after nearly thirthy years.[140]

In April 2024, Belasteguín visited the Vatican City to celebrate the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace.[141]

Honours

Spanish and International Circuit (2002–2005)

  Win   Draw   Loss

Finals

More information N.º, Year ...
Close

Padel Pro Tour (2006–2012)

  Win   Draw   Loss

Finals

More information N.º, Year ...
Close

World Padel Tour (2013–2023)

  Win   Draw   Loss

Finals

More information N.º, Year ...
Close

Premier Padel

  Win   Loss

Finals

More information N.º, Year ...
N.º Year Tournament Category Partner Opponents in the final Result Career Title No.
1. 14 August 2022 Argentina Mendoza P1 Spain Arturo Coello Brazil Pablo Lima
Argentina Franco Stupaczuk		 2–6 / 6–4 / 6–7[418] —
2. 4 December 2022 Mexico Monterrey Major Spain Arturo Coello Argentina Agustín Tapia
Argentina Sanyo Gutiérrez		 6–3 / 3–6 / 6–3[419] 203rd
3. 5 March 2023 Qatar Doha Major Argentina Sanyo Gutiérrez Argentina Franco Stupaczuk
Argentina Martín Di Nenno		 2–6 / 6–7(5)[420] —
Close

Mundial

  • 2002 World Padel Championship
  • 2004 World Padel Championship
  • 2006 World Padel Championship
  • 2014 World Padel Championship
  • 2016 World Padel Championship
  • 2022 World Padel Championship

Biography

In 2015, in the same day as Sant Jordi's Day, Fernando Belasteguín released his biography, titled Esta es mi historia (This is My Story), with a prologue written by football player Andrés Iniesta and written by Valen Bailon. The book also has a charitable purpose, as its profits will be donated to various charitable causes.:[421]

  • Ronald McDonald Children's Foundation Barcelona.
  • Bakery “The future of Pehuajó”.
  • Fernando Belasteguín Special Padel School.
  • Social causes

Fernando Belasteguín Special Padel School

Club Gral. San Martín, Pehuajó.

The Escuela Especial de Pádel (Special Padel School) is located in the city of Bolívar, Buenos Aires, Argentina, and its goal is to show the integration and development that children achieve through sport. Fernando Belasteguín's biography includes a charitable aspect, as the funds collected are allocated to three charitable causes:[422]

  • Ronald McDonald Children's Foundation Barcelona.
  • Bakery “The future of Pehuajó”.
  • Fernando Belasteguín Special Padel School.

Teammates

Fernando Belasteguín has played with 15 different teammates and has won titles with most of them.

  • Godo Diaz (1993)[423]
  • Mati Diaz (1994–1998)[424]
  • Roby Gattiker (1999)[425]
  • Alejandro Sanz (09/1999)[426]
  • Guillermo Demianiuk (2000)[427]
  • Pablo Semprún (04/2001–10/2001)[428]
  • Juan Martín Díaz (2001–2014)[429]
  • Pablo Lima (2015–2019)[430]
  • Guillermo Lahoz (2015), while Lima was injured[431]
  • Agustín Tapia (08/2019 – 12/2020)[432]
  • Sanyo Gutiérrez (04/2021 – 09/2021)[433]
  • Arturo Coello (10/2021 – 12/2022)[434]
  • Sanyo Gutiérrez (01/2023 – 04/2023)[435]
  • Mike Yanguas (04/2023 – 12/2023)[436]
  • Luciano Capra (02/2024 – 04/2024)[437]
  • Juan Tello (04/2024 – 09/2024)[438]
  • Valentino Libaak (09/2024 – 12/2024)[439]

Sources

  • Belasteguin. "Sitio Web Oficial" (in Spanish).

References

Related Articles

Wikiwand AI