Fernando Belasteguín, widely considered the greatest padel player of all time, bade an emotional farewell over the weekend at his spiritual home of Mar del Plata, Buenos Aires.
In front of a packed house of admiring Argentinian fans, the world no.1 for 16 years said farewell at the Mar del Plata Premier Padel P1 – the city where his professional career began.
It was in Mar del Plata that ‘Bela’ – known as ‘The Boss’ – made his professional debut back in 1995. While his career will continue until the end of the 2024 Premier Padel season, Saturday marked the end of an era on Argentine soil.
Bela and his partner Tello went out with a bang, defeated by the current world number no.1 pair, Arturo Coello and Agustín Tapia.
After their victory, Coello and Tapia ceded the spotlight entirely to Bela, embracing him in an emotional hug and shedding tears of joy and admiration.
These heartfelt tears were shared by hundreds of fans in the stands, in a Polideportivo Islas Malvinas that proved too small for the quarter-finals. It was a full house from 9 a.m. until the end of the day, reaching its emotional peak during the heartfelt farewell to their beloved and revered compatriot.
Bela has been no.1 in the world ranking the most times, as well as winning most World Padel Tour titles in history.
Belasteguín now lives in Spain and runs the Bela Padel Center, which opened in Alicante in 2020.
