The best of padel has arrived in Miami for the motorola razr Miami Premier Padel P1, bringing a full week of world-class action featuring the top players on the planet. This tournament is set to be unforgettable, led by none other than Fernando “Bela” Belasteguín—a true legend—serving as tournament director.
During Premier Padel’s media day, Bela shared his thoughts with both American and international press:
“We’re thrilled to be here,” said the former world No. 1, who held the top spot for 16 consecutive years. “We believe in the growth of padel in this country. We know it’s a big challenge, but it’s only a matter of time. Padel is an exciting sport with huge social appeal, and we’re confident that everything is in place for success. In the meantime, we’re grateful that Miami believed in us and gave us the opportunity to be a sort of ‘gateway’ for the circuit in the United States. This is the perfect place to kick-start the sport’s development and put on an incredible show”.
But it’s not just about the entertainment, competition in Miami is serious.“Absolutely. The big difference now compared to the past is the ranking points at stake in this tournament. I played professionally for 30 years, and I can guarantee that this is a key factor for the players.” On the topic of the Miami ATP Open happening at the same time as Premier Padel, Bela added: “It’s just a coincidence, but we’re happy about it because fans of both sports now have two incredible events to follow at the same time. It’s a fantastic opportunity.”
Also attending the press event were the tournament’s top two seeded pairs: Coello-Tapia and Chingotto-Galan. Arturo Coello expressed how special this tournament is for him: “I moved here a few weeks ago, so this is now home for me, and I really want to perform well. We’ve been working hard, so we feel confident. Right now, the Miami Open ATP tournament is happening just a short distance away, and I’m sure tennis fans will come check out padel at the Convention Center. But we also know Miami has a strong Spanish and Argentine influence, so this city already has a deep passion for our sport. I have no doubt the stands at this incredible venue will be packed with enthusiastic fans.”
Agustin Tapia didn’t hide his ambitions or his determination to stay at the top of the rankings alongside “King Arthur” Coello: “We might be the favorites, that’s true, but every match comes with risks—every round is tough now. Our goal is to keep improving match by match. It’s not easy to adjust to such a different setting, especially the climate—we just came from cold Barcelona, and now we’re playing in Miami’s summer-like weather.”
On paper, their biggest challengers remain the Argentine-Spanish duo of Fede Chingotto and Ale Galan. Ale Galan, who played in Miami back in 2017, reminisced about his first career semifinal here: “It’s been just a few years, but everything has changed in terms of the sport’s popularity. People recognize us now, they play padel in American clubs, and there’s a huge passion for it here in Miami. We hope to put on an amazing show for the fans. We’ll enjoy it on the court, and they’ll enjoy it in the stands. Our sport is pure entertainment, and I know the American crowd is going to love it”.
Fede Chingotto highlighted how special it is to have Bela as tournament director: “It’s kind of funny—he was always a role model for me as a player, and now he’s on the other side of the glass. But it’s great to have him leading the event. We invite everyone to come watch—this is going to be an unforgettable spectacle”.