Fernando Belasteguín He is recognized as the best player of paddle of history. With 29 years in the professional circuit, the one from Pehuajó remained in first place in the ranking for 15 years between 2002 and 2017. The multi-time Argentine champion announced that he will say goodbye at the end of the season and that Mar del Plata It is his last tournament in the country. For this reason, the local public is making him feel all the love and respect they have for him.
Accompanied by Juan Tello“Bela” had to face the Spanish couple formed by Juan Antonio Diestro y Pablo Lijoand won in three sets by 7-6, 6-4 y 7-5. In one of the final points, and with the drama on the back of the demanding game, the people who came to the Mar del Plata Sports Center were the protagonists of an unforgettable moment.
Before the last point, the people began to chant in unison “Come on Bela let’s go… put an egg we win“making the Argentine moved almost to tears. An ovation as necessary as it was deserved, to give the necessary push to the Argentine duo.
After the match, “the Legend” approached the stands to hug his family and friends, and among them was the former tennis player David Nalbandian. Meanwhile, people continued singing for the star of the night, who later joined the fans.
Fernando Belasteguín, synonymous with padel and Argentine pride.
“Today could be my last game in Argentina. If I lost, I left with the peace of mind that I ran 3 hours like I did for 30 years. “I promise you that I will throw myself headlong until the last ball,” he declared. El Boss before the media that are covering the Mar del Plata Premier Pádel P1.
This Thursday, in the round of 16, Bela and Tello will face another Spanish duo, the one made up of Javier Barahona y Teodoro Zapata. Both eliminated the Argentine duo made up of Luciano Capra y Alex Chozas who beat them 6-3, 6-3.
Belasteguín’s numbers
The one from Pehuajó debuted in paddle tennis in 1995 at the age of 15 and in 2000 he was chosen as the best argentine player. However he had to wait until 2006 to lift his first title, it was because of Pro Tour Paddle next to Spanish Juan Martin Diaz and they won the final in Córdoba against the Argentines Sebastián Nerone and Gabriel Reca 6-2, 6-1.
Fernando Belasteguín and his last tournament in Argentina.
That same year he managed to raise 17 titles of the Paddle Pro Tour. In that circuit he achieved first place a total of 161 times. The last one was in Amsterdam on October 2, 2022. The tournament was played with the Spanish Arturo Coello and they beat the Argentine’s partner Franco Stupaczuk and the Brazilian Pablo Lima by 6-2, 7-5.
He and Coello won only one title Prime Minister has fallen in Monterrey in 2022 they won 6-3, 3-6 and 6-3 against the Argentines Agustín Tapia y Sanyo Gutierrez. In addition, he was a finalist on two other occasions in 2022 and 2023, but he could not win, he lost in Mendoza 2-6, 6-4, 6-7 against Stupaczuk and Lima and against Martin Di Nenno y Stupaczuk cf. 2-6, 6-7(5).
A clipping that Belasteguín’s parents keep in their house in Pehuajó.
He won six world titles in 2002, 2004, 2006, 2014, 2016 and 2022. He is the player who remained in first place in the ranking the longest, he held that place between 2022 and 2007, today he is in ninth place. Once Fernando Belasteguín Stop playing, your absence will be noticed on the playing field and the world of paddle tennis will never be the same.
2024-05-23 15:03:45
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