Bela to Padel Alto: ”The FIP and the players set the conditions for the future of padel”

Fernando Belasteguin and Arturo Coello are the most convincing pair at the start of the fourth day of the Qatar Major. Exclusively for Padel Alto, "El Rey" talks about the new Premier Padel, the conflict with the World Padel Tour, and the future of the sport, where he welcomes other actors like APT and WPT to join the PPA and FIP. 
— The FIP and the players set the conditions for the future of professional padel, Bela says. 

Fernando Belasteguin and Arturo Coello were very convincing and won their round of 16 match against the tough opponent Mike Yanguas and Coki Nieto in two straight sets, 6-1, 7-5 in Qatar Major. 

Padel Alto: Start by summing up your performance in the Round of 16?
”It was a very tough match with Yanguas/Nieto. We already faced each other three times out of
four tournaments played in the year. But luckily, we were able to take the match to our rhythm
and to our field, where we were more comfortable.
We were 6-1 /3-0 with my serve, and Coki and Mike recovered the break, but we could
make one more break for the 5th of the second set and close with Arturo's serve. We are very
happy to be in the quarterfinals of this nice tournament”. 

”A spectacular success”

What do you say about your start of the season? 
”I had faith that I would win a tournament with Arturo, but I didn't think it would be so fast
that it would be the first one. And the fact that it was the Miami tournament, an
international tournament, where Wilson's headquarters are in the USA… I am very happy.
Then we reached the round of 16 in Reus, quarterfinals in Vigo - where I think we played very
well - and here in Qatar we are in the quarterfinals, so I'm very happy”. 

And now, you are here for the first Premier Padel tournament in history. What do you say about it? 
”It's the beginning of a new season, it's a tournament in Doha, but there will be more
tournaments around the world. Here is the beginning because they were the ones who have
helped us along with FIP to promote the circuit, but in the coming months, we will go to other
capitals of the world, and I do not doubt that it will be a spectacular success”. 

”We will welcome anyone who wants to join, WPT, APT...”

In the middle of the Vigo Open, you got the news of fines totaling €12.5 million on the top 20 players in the world. How to justify 
”It's difficult to play with people who don't understand that they can do their tournaments and
we can go and play elsewhere. And the question arises: "Why didn't you say it before? We have
been with WPT for nine years," and the answer is that the players association was created in
December 2021, and it is the first time in the history of padel that the players are SO united.
And I can assure you that my joy is enormous that we all go together with the same goal, to
make padel great.
So, we are going to fulfill the contract with WPT, and we are going to play all the events in 2022 and 2023, but we will also play the Premier Padel circuit. Which is the circuit of the
future. From 2024, all the people and the organizers who want to help us make padel great, let them come. But from here on, what changes is that the FIP and the players set the conditions of the future of professional padel. But in 2024, we will welcome anyone who wants to join, WPT, APT.... to all the organizers around the world who want to make padel great and who work with love for padel. Welcome and join us. We will be happy to go down that road together”. 

How worried are you about the WPT fines? How is the talk among your players? 
We are concerned because they are asking us for excessive money, which in padel never existed.
We think that nobody can be your owner, we have the right to work wherever we want. The
only thing we ask for is the right to work freely, nothing else.

What is the main difference between playing this tournament compared to all the others you have played in your long career?
”Everything revolves around the player here, which is the most important thing, and I have
always maintained that. In the equation of professional padel, the organizers can change, the
federations can make changes, but what is never replaced is the player. That's why I'm so happy that we are united”. 

Do you understand the WPT's decision to fine you? 
”I'm not going to talk to you about WPT. I'm going to say that we players want to be
free because we consider that this is how it should be for the sport to grow. There can't be an
owner. We have to go all together in the same direction, and the player must be considered in the decision-making process”. 

”You will see that it will be crowded in the second tournament, which will be in a European city”. 

How important is it for you that the prize money is increased in padel with this tour? 
”It is important, but there have already been offers with similar prizes. Here, there is
something that cannot be quantified, and that is the player's freedom, which is not compared
with any prize money. The player's freedom is essential in this Premier Padel project”. 

There are not many people in the stands in Doha. What's it like to play here? 
”We knew that not many people were going to come because padel is a sport that is just
starting here. It was clear to us. Among the players, we commented that in Doha, we would play with a few people in the stands, but this project had to start, and it had to start here, in Doha. You will see that it will be crowded in the second tournament, which will be in a European city”. 

How important would it be to be the first couple to win this historic first title at Premier Padel? 
Tomorrow I play the quarterfinals; I will focus on that.