14,500 fans experience historic semi-final day and touching tribute to ‘Bela’

Over 14,500 fans filled the Palau Sant Jordi on Saturday and set a new attendance record for Premier Padel. The audience got to experience an unforgettable day that defined the finalists of the first edition of the Qatar Airways Premier Padel Finals. On Sunday, it will be Coello-Tapia against Coki-Sanz in the men’s final, while Sánchez-Josemaría and Triay-Fernández will battle it out for the women’s title.

World number ones Ariana Sánchez and Paula Josemaría were the first to secure a place in the final after defeating Salazar-Castelló 6-4, 6-3 in the semifinals. Their superior chemistry and dominance was evident, and they are now aiming for the ultimate triumph of the season.

Their opponents will be Gemma Triay and Claudia Fernández, who are seeded second, beating Delfi Brea and Vero Virseda in straight sets (7-5, 6-1). The first set was a thriller, where Fernández excelled with aggressive play and 23 winners. In the second set, Triay and Fernández took full control and secured the victory.

In the press conference, Triay reflected: “Reaching the final is a reward for the season we have had. Tomorrow we will go out and enjoy it and stay focused,” while Fernández added: “We deserve this final. No matter what happens, we’re proud of our year.”

Before the men’s semi-finals, the audience got to say goodbye to Fernando Belasteguín, the most decorated padel player of all time. Fans got to see a show of tie-breaks where legends such as JM Díaz, Pablo Lima, Juani Mieres, Gaby Reca and Seba Nerone participated, along with special guests such as Carles Puyol and Gianluca Vacchi.

A few minutes later, ‘Bela’ held his last press conference in a Premier Padel tournament and reflected on the future of the sport with the Olympic dream in mind: “Before we reach the Olympics, we must fully consolidate professional padel, and Premier Padel plays a key role in this by taking us to incredible arenas. There is no doubt that we, together with the federation and the entire padel community, will achieve this dream, but first we must strengthen Premier Padel as the gateway to the Olympics.”

Fernando Belasteguín, known as ‘Bela’, is a living legend in the sport of padel. With a career spanning over two decades, he has been a world number one for 16 years and inspired countless players with his talent, dedication and sportsmanship. His departure from Premier Padel marks the end of an era, but his legacy will live on as one of the sport’s greatest icons.

The first men’s semi-final saw Coello and Tapia beat Lebrón-Di Nenno 6-3, 7-5. The top seeds once again showed their dominance, with Coello’s solid play and Tapia’s brilliant moments securing them a new place in the final.

At the press conference, Coello said: “Since Madrid, it has been clear that we are enjoying the journey and developing,” while Tapia added: “We prepared physically for this tournament and we hope to lift the trophy tomorrow.”

Spaniards Coki Nieto and Jon Sanz will challenge them in the final after a hard-fought victory over Momo González and Edu Alonso (6-3, 7-5). The first set saw dramatic momentum shifts, with Momo and Edu taking a 3-0 lead, only to be thwarted by six straight games from their opponents. The second set was just as close, with Coki and Jon securing the victory after withstanding a strong comeback.

The emotions were strong in their comments after the game. “If you had told us that we would end the year as the fifth-ranked couple, we would have signed on to it right away. We deserve to enjoy the final tomorrow,” Coki said, while Jon expressed his pride: “It’s an honor to play together and reach this final.”

Sunday’s program starts at 11:00 local time with bronze matches in both categories. The women’s final will follow at 16:00, where the two top-seeded pairs of Sánchez-Josemaría and Triay-Fernández will meet. After the women’s champions have been crowned, it will be the men’s final where the dominant pair Coello-Tapia will face the tournament’s surprise pair, Coki-Jon.