After more than 30 years as a professional, Fernando Belasteguinn (45 years old) said goodbye to professional padel this Thursday in Milan, a sport in which he has won 230 tournaments and spent sixteen years (between 2002 and 2017) at the top of the world ranking. «With the recognitions I have received this year, I have won more trophies than in the last five years. There is no knowing what feeling you will experience when you stop playing. Now I know, but I am very happy, very calm. “I had already decided a long time ago to play the entire 2024 season,” said the Argentine after finishing his last game.
The last match in the elite of Belasteguín, who turned professional at the age of 15, was played as a pair with his compatriot Valentino ‘Tino’ Libaak in the round of 16 of the Milano Premier Padel P1where the Argentines were defeated (6-3 and 6-4) by the duo formed by the Spanish Javier Garrido and the Brazilian Lucas Bergamini.
Although like many other ArgentinesThe boy was aiming for the ball sportBelasteguín began playing paddle tennis at the facilities of the Club Atlético Gral. San Martín in the Buenos Aires city of Pehuajó, where he played soccer in the lower categories. After the construction of some courts in his city, he began to try paddle tennis as entertainment and at the age of 13 he was discovered by Matías Díaz’s father and his brother Godo Díaz, professional paddle tennis players, with whom he began to train and compete. The beginning of a career that led him to professionalism for three decades.
«I had more difficult moments than good games, but I wanted to leave as I have done throughout my career. Fighting, fighting, throwing myself to the ground, arguing with the referee, hitting the glass with the shovel. “I wanted to leave with my essence, that of fighting,” said the Argentine, two-time world champion in pairs and six times, in national teams.
Throughout his career he formed a partnership with several players, but none as fruitful as with Juan Martin Diaza duo that dominated the world rankings for 13 consecutive seasons, achieving 155 trophies together.
During his professional career, Belasteguín collaborated with players from different generations, such as Willy Lahoz, Sanyo Gutiérrez, Agustín Tapia and Arturo Coello. Even in his final years, Bela continued to challenge himself by associating with young talents such as Mike Yanguas, Lucho Capra, Juan Tello and Tino Libaak, with whom he played his last professional game this Thursday.
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