We left him on the other side of the world, with a sombrero on his head, celebrating winning the Major Premier Padel in Monterrey, Mexico.
We find him again here, in Milan, ready with his usual class to delight the Allianz Cloud audience with his shots that, at 43 years old, do not age. In fact, Fernando Belasteguín is like Benjamin Button: the more time passes, the younger he gets. Belasteguín for padel is like Maradona or Messi for football; Michael Jordan or Kobe Bryant for basketball; Federer, Nadal or Djokovic for tennis. Sixteen years, sixteen, at the top of the world ranking (from 2002 to 2017), you don’t stay there by accident: the Argentine has written the history of the sport and does not want to stop doing so. Because, as it is written on the lace of his racket “Un Belasteguín nunca se rinde”: a Belasteguín never gives up.
Today, “Bela” plays with a talent that has been blossoming in recent months, that of Spaniard Arturo Coello, who is 20 years old and could be his son.
An example for the youngest, an inspiration for those who are already champions, an icon for the millions of people worldwide who have approached padel. These are days of great excitement for the Argentine people, who dream of a world title in football: in Mexico last week, padel champions gathered in the lobby of their hotel to support the “Albiceleste”, and the same is likely to happen on Friday during the quarterfinal against the Netherlands.
Argentina has already won a world cup, and Belasteguín led his national team to the title victory not more than a month ago, in Dubai. But Belasteguín does not keep the silverware, meaning cups and medals, he gives them away: the victories are the ones remaining etched on his mind. “See you in Milan”, he said before climbing the steps of the plane before flying to Europe.
Especially because, waiting for him, there is a “Bela” atmosphere.