Bela Elite V2.5

Fernando Belasteguin

Many new entrants to padel have only joined the sport when Fernando Belasteguin was on his way out. He was that old partner of 19 year old Arturo Coello…the guy with the smooth movements and the flat bandejas. But Bela is padel legend.

He is a father of the sport who has lived at the top for decades with the likes of Juan Martín Díaz and Miguel Lamperti…but one firm step above.

And in 2024, after 30 years of professional play, the best padel player in the world is…retiring.

A few more stats for the curious:

• He has played in 286 finals, winning 230 of them

• He has been ranked number 1 for 16 years

• This month (May 2024), he is turning 45 and ranked number 18

Wilson x Bela

Wilson and Bela have collaborated for years on the Bela line - a line of 5 rackets:

• Bela Pro: hardest and heaviest at 370g with a hard core

• Bela Elite: 5g lighter and softer than the Bela Pro (this model)

• Bela LT (light): 15g lighter than and softer than the Bela Pro

• Bela Team (not present in 2024): slightly lighter than the Elite

• Bela Junior: small, lightweight, kids version

2024’s Bela Pro V2.5

The Bela Pro is a heavy power racket designed for players with above average strength who like a medium-hard touch and good spin.

Specifications

Let’s cover the specifications first. It is a teardrop weighing 365g with a soft core and carbon fiber surface. It is designed with a smooth, yet powerful balance of 26.5cm. The handle is ~12cm and leads to a signature Bela double winged bridge that continues to a 3D textured surface. It is very red.

At the back of the court

While the back of the court is not where this racket shines, I expected more difficulty than I received. This teardrop does not feel like a diamond. And there is a big difference between the 26.5cm balance of this racket and the 27.5cm of my most recently tested Volt 1000.

Its sweet spot is located slightly above the center of the racket face. It perfectly fits what I expected with a medium touch teardrop: average-sized and located slightly above center. It was actually larger than I expected it after reading numerous reviews complaining about its small size.

At the net

Volleys with this Ferrari are amazing. Clean, decent sweet spot. Weight in the head. Heavy spin.

Whether I went in with a cutting slice volley or a flat chacletazo, the pressure punished my rivals. There is clearly an extra punch when playing this after the Wilson Bela LT V2.5.

I did, however, also feel inconvenienced by low balls with it. I noticed my slowness in digging up well-placed chiquitas - often resulting in my popping the ball up and getting punished with an aggressive volley.

Aerials

This racket also shines in bandejas and viboras. Its weight and roughness make it easy to send high balls back low and deep. You get less of a dead ball effect when slightly framing the ball, making contact too low, or otherwise missing the sweet spot. For this reason, I’d recommend this racket to all those interested in the Bela Pro who aren’t 100% confident they want the hardest touch.

Smashes

Its smashes are great - it has slightly less explosiveness upon impact than the Bela Pro. The ball sinks into the racket face very slightly on warm days. I really enjoy this racket’s balance between usability and power.

And its kick smashes crawl up the wall higher than I expected - great spin. I don’t know if it’s the result of the hole pattern or the roughness, but it works more effectively than I expected after initially feeling the racket face with my hand.