Who is the greatest padel player of all time? Arturo Coello has offered his own top 10. His main criterion is not style or spectacular shots, but the amount of time spent as world number one.
In his ranking, Fernando Belasteguín leads ahead of Juan Martín Díaz. Behind them, Coello places Juan Lebrón, then a group including Agustin Tapia, Alejandro Galán and himself.
A clear criterion: lasting domination
Coello’s logic is easy to understand. Reaching number one for a short period requires huge level; staying there demands consistency, adaptation and rare mental strength.
That explains Belasteguín’s place. His reign shaped part of modern padel’s imagination. Juan Martín Díaz stands as the other pillar of that dominant era.
Lebrón, Tapia, Galán and Coello in the debate
Lebrón’s third place highlights his impact on contemporary padel. As the first Spanish world number one, he opened a new chapter in recent history.
The Tapia-Galán-Coello grouping also shows how hard it is to rank the current generation. All three have already marked the circuit, but their final place will depend on the duration of their dominance and their titles.
A ranking made for debate
Like any historical top, Coello’s list invites discussion. Some will favour trophies, others influence, beauty of play or era-changing impact.
The real interest is what the list reveals: for Coello, greatness is first measured by the ability to remain at the summit. A demanding criterion, and a coherent one for a number one.
