In his first professional tennis match, retired football player Diego Forlan lost 6-1, 6-1 in 47 minutes in a doubles match in Uruguay.
After being given a wildcard to the Uruguay Open in Montevideo, the former Manchester United and Atletico Madrid striker and his Argentine partner Federico Coria were defeated by Bolivian duo Boris Arias and Federico Zeballos. The event took place on the ATP Challenger Tour, a division beneath the main ATP Tour.
Forlan said: “I hadn’t even imagined, let alone dreamed of this… It’s wonderful to have played against professionals.”
He added: “The atmosphere on this court that I love so much was incredible; my friends, my family were here. It was very special, and I enjoyed it… I felt like a tennis player for a moment.”
After playing football for 20 years, Forlan resumed playing tennis more frequently. He was a talented junior tennis player in hiss. In 2023, he made his ITF Masters Tour debut after playing in the Montevideo club league with friends.
His partner Coria had advanced to the French Open third round and finished 49th in the singles rankings the previous year. Forlan stated: “I’m grateful for the opportunity to play with Fede… It’s not easy for him to enter these tournaments with an amateur beside him.”
Source: BBC