Despite being a relatively "young" sport, padel already has a history. There are players who have managed to make history thanks to their records and victories that are not easy to achieve. Here are six historic padel players whose names will forever be etched in the sport's history.

Six Historic Padel Players

Fernando Belasteguín

Fernando Belasteguín is, for many, the best padel player in history. The player born in Pehuajó, Argentina, is currently one of the veterans of the World Padel Tour. But the most impressive thing is that at 42 years old, he continues to compete against the youngest and most talented players in the tournament. In addition to his long career, Bela has an enormous list of honors to his name. Indeed, he is the greatest champion of Open and Masters events in the men's category. But he is also known for having been at the top of the World Padel Tour ranking for 15 consecutive years. We are sure that it will take a long time for a player to achieve such dominance for such a long period. Therefore, we may never see anything like it again. In addition, Belasteguín still holds the record for the youngest player to reach the top of the WPT ranking, at only 22 years old. Bea González Bea González is the player of the moment, the one who appears in all the advertising campaigns of the women's World Padel Tour. The player from Malaga is currently ranked number 10 in the world, but that is not why she is already considered a historic player. Bea González is the youngest padel player to win a title at the highest level of the World Padel Tour. She achieved this by being crowned champion of the Madrid Open 2019, alongside her partner Martita Ortega, at only 18 years old. Since that moment, the player from Malaga has made history in the sport, and it is very difficult for another player to beat this record.

Arturo Coello

If we talk about players who have made history, Arturo Coello cannot be missing from the list of historic padel players. We started the year 2022 with the news that the player born in Valladolid had become the youngest player in history to win an official World Padel Tour tournament. He achieved this alongside his experienced and legendary partner Belasteguín, who chose him this season to combine his experience with his youth. At only 19 years old, the player from Valladolid managed to conquer the Miami Open 2022, the first tournament of the year, to officially make history in padel. This victory dethroned the previous holder of this record, Agustín Tapia, who, at 20 years old, was champion of the Madrid Master 2019.

Alejandra Salazar

Alejandra Salazar is none other than the current world number 1 in the women's World Padel Tour ranking. She shares this position with her partner Gemma Triay, with whom she has managed to win two titles at the start of the 2022 season and 10 in total since 2021. The player from Madrid has made history in padel, and not only for being number 1. We are talking about the most victorious player of all time in the Open and Master tournaments of the World Padel Tour. To date, she has 38 tournaments in total, and below her are only the Sanchez Alayeto twins, with 32 trophies to their name. So, if all goes well this season, Ale Salazar will continue to be the greatest winner in padel history.

Martita Ortega

Marta Ortega, from Madrid, is currently ranked 12th in the women's World Padel Tour ranking. However, there was a time when she was at the top of the ranking and no rival could displace her. In 2019, Martita Ortega, at 22 years old, became the youngest player in history to be number 1 in the WPT ranking, a record she still holds today. Indeed, this 2019 season was a dream year for the Madrid player, a year in which she won seven official titles and three MVP awards. Currently, Ortega's hegemony is over, but every season she has the same goal of being number 1 again.

Juan Lebrón

And of course, the current number 1 player, "El Lobo" Juan Lebrón, could not be left out. And he deserves his place on this list not only because he reached the top of the ranking, but because he is the first player of Spanish origin to be world number 1. Without a doubt, he has made history with this achievement, placing Spain at the top. This milestone was reached in November 2019, after his victory in the semifinals of the São Paulo Open with his former partner Paquito Navarro.