I sit directly across from Fernando Belasteguin and ask the question: When will you retire from padel?
“When I’m 45,” he answers firmly. That was three years ago, and Bela has kept his word. 
Today, the day has come.

“BEEEEELA, BEEEEEELA, BEEEEEELA!”

The stadium in the heart of Buenos Aires is electric, reaching its boiling point. The Argentinians’ relationship with sports is unmistakably different from the rest of the world. This passionate, patriotic crowd expresses their adoration for their idols in a manner reminiscent of the enthusiasm seen at football matches in Europe.

And the loudest cheers, of course, are reserved for the greatest of them all: Fernando Belasteguin.

It’s November 25, 2021, national icon Diego Maradona’s passing anniversary. After the match, an emotional Fernando Belasteguin dons an Argentine football jersey with the number 10 on the back. The crowd erupts.

Through tears, he manages to say, “THANK YOU,” and continues:
“For the unconditional love you had for our beloved homeland,” referring to the man behind the iconic number 10.

“OLE OLE OLE, CADA DIA TE QUIERO MAS!” chants the fanatical Argentine audience. Bela abandons any attempt to speak further. Tears streaming, he joins the chant, waving the microphone in the air.

The love he has for his country is reciprocated. Argentina loves Bela, and Bela loves Argentina.

In every interview I’ve had with the icon, two themes always emerge: his love for the sport of padel and his unwavering devotion to Argentina.

Bela moved to Madrid early in his career, later settling in Barcelona, where he still lives. Yet, during my visit to Argentina, I couldn’t shake the sense of a nation robbed of its rightful treasure. The passionate fans in his homeland get to see their world-class stars only once a season.

In 2021, the World Padel Tour destinations bore names like Vigo, Valladolid, and Valencia.
Little did we know it would get worse:
By 2024, Premier Padel tournaments are staged in Kuwait, Dubai, and Doha.

A Visit to Bela’s Roots

During my time in Argentina, I had the honor of visiting Pehuajó, a small town of 38,000 people known for two things. One is “Manuelita,” a children’s song about a turtle who journeys from Pehuajó to Paris in the name of love.

When I mentioned my plans to visit Pehuajó to some Argentine friends uninterested in sports or padel, they laughed.

“What on earth are you going to do there? There’s nothing in Pehuajó, except that turtle song every Argentine child grows up singing.”

I had to correct them. Pehuajó is also the birthplace of Fernando Belasteguin — the town’s greatest athlete and the most iconic padel player of all time. The town even has a square named after him.

Meeting Bela’s parents was a humbling experience. They were astonished that a Swedish journalist would undertake a 10-hour round trip from Buenos Aires just to meet them. For them, it symbolized how padel has evolved — not just in gameplay and equipment but also in global reach.

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For Bela, this has always been paramount: spreading the sport beyond traditional strongholds like Spain and Argentina.

A Sport Transformed

One can only marvel at how Bela has not only grown with the sport but helped transform it. The game he started playing as a young boy on rough concrete courts in Pehuajó is unrecognizable today. For newer fans, the numbers speak for themselves: 170, 36, 3, 3, 4. 

That’s how many titles Bela won with different partners — in a sport that has always been in constant evolution.

Back in the car to Buenos Aires, my colleague and I reflected on memories we’d carry for a lifetime. We had shared an asado with the Belasteguin family, visited Bela’s first school, met his first coach at the club where he began, knocked on the door of a neighbor to access the backyard where young Bela practiced his signature bandejas, and leafed through old newspaper clips with his proud father, Jorge.

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Today, kids in Pehuajó no longer need to knock on neighbors’ doors to play padel on makeshift courts. A state-of-the-art center now bears Bela’s name, inspiring the next generation to dream of becoming the next Belasteguin, just as one might dream of being the next Maradona.

A Year of Farewells

2024 has been a heartbreaking year for sports fans. First, Rafael Nadal bid goodbye to tennis, and now Fernando Belasteguin to padel. Two legends, two sports, two nations.

Like Nadal’s love for Spain and Maradona’s for Argentina, Bela’s devotion to his homeland will endure. Every time the tour returns to Argentina, chants of “BEEEEEEEELA” will echo once more.

Tonight, and every night, I say: Thank you, Bela, for your unconditional love for padel.

And I am certain that every Argentine padel fan would echo this sentiment:
“Thank you, Bela, for your unwavering love for our beloved homeland.”