Padel
9 padel pros that all fans should know about
These athletes are the real aces of the racket-based ball game, players that have made a mark in the sport and are among the world's best.
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Padel has emerged as one of the fastest-growing sports in recent years, a development that has seen courts and clubs springing up all over the world. Incredibly popular in Spain and Argentina, it's these countries that have supplied the legends of the sport and many of its current top stars.
You can see these tops players showcase their skills on the count during Premier Padel – the professional padel circuit. Watch every match at each of the 25 tournaments from the quarter finals onwards, live on Red Bull TV. Find out if you can access the coverage here. Don't see you country listed? Check out your local listings.
Read on to learn all about the athletes that have impacted the sport throughout its history.
01
Juan Lebrón Chincoa
Juan Lebrón in Premier Padel action in Madrid
© Alberto Nevado/Red Bull Content Pool
Juan Lebrón Chincoa is the sport's most well-known player and biggest star. He's the number one ranked male player with the International Padel Federation, the sport's governing body, and with the World Padel Tour, one of the sport's most well-known series. After a promising junior career, Lebrón turned professional in 2016 and hasn't looked back since. He's tasted success as part of Spanish World Championship winning teams, while on the padel tournament circuit, he's paired up with some of the best the game has to offer in Marcello Jardim, Adrián Allemandi and Paquito Navarro.
02
Fernando Belasteguín
Fernando Belasteguín is for many the best male padel player of all time. The Argentinian is one of the veterans of the sport and has been at the top of the game for a long time. Even at the age of 44, Belasteguín continues to be competitive. His tournament wins are in the hundreds, though his most standout achievement was being the number one ranked player on the World Padel Tour for 16 consecutive years. Belasteguín's regular partner was fellow Argentinian, Juan Martín Díaz, another legendary player.
03
Alejandro Galán
Alejandro Galán has seen major improvements in his game since pairing up with Lebrón in 2020. The 27-year-old is a good foil for his fellow Spanish player and the two are the dominating forces on the men's padel tournament circuit. The Madrid-born athlete is currently the president of the Professional Padel Association, a position that puts him at the heart of the game's future development as it looks to grow and increase participation worldwide.
Alejandro Galán is the president of the Professional Padel Association
© Jaime de Diego/Red Bull Content Pool
04
Roby Gattiker and Alejandro Lasaigues
In the period just before Belasteguín and Diaz, Argentinians Robert Gattiker and Alejandro Lasaigues were the names that dominated the padel scene in the 1990s. Lasaigues is now an important figure in trying to grow the sport in the United States.
05
Arturo Coello
6 min
Padel Life: Arturo Coello returns to his origins
Narrated by his family – who helped him rise to the top – this is the life of the best player in the world.
Spanish player Arturo Coello is, without doubt, one of the future stars of men's padel. He started competing as a pro in 2019 aged just 17 and to date has seven World Padel Tour tournament wins to his name. The first of those came in Miami in 2022, which made him the youngest winner of a WPT tournament ever. Coello currently plays alongside another young gun in Agustín Tapia of Argentina.
06
Bea González
The women's padel scene has a younger profile when it comes to some of the current top players and Spain's Bea González is one player who fits that bill. In 2020, at the age of 18, she became the youngest player ever to win a title on the World Padel Tour alongside her then playing partner Martita Ortega of Spain. González currently plays alongside Argentina's Delfina Brea Senesi, and in 2023, alongside Senesi, she made history by becoming the youngest player to win the Master Final of the World Padel Tour at the age of 22. Since teaming up, the Spanish-Argentinian duo has reached ten World Padel Tour finals and two Premier Padel finals, winning eight out of twelve matches.
Beatriz González
© Gianfranco Tripodo/Red Bull Content Pool
07
Ariana Sanchez
6 min
Padel Life: Ariana Sanchez – a day with padel's world no1
Padel’s top player Ari Sanchez shares her journey to the top – and the sacrifices it takes.
Ariana Sánchez is the current number one ranked women's player in the world having enjoyed three fruitful years in terms of major tournament wins. The 25-year-old currently plays alongside Paula Josemaría for Spain and in tournaments.
08
Alejandra Salazar
Alejandra Salazar is considered an all-time great on the women's circuit. The 35-year-old from Madrid has been World and Spanish champion on several occasions and is currently partnering with compatriot Gemma Triay.
7 min
Padel Life: Ale Salazar – a story of self-belief
Ale Salazar, former padel no1, reflects on her journey, celebrating the legacy and the fans she’s inspired.
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