Uruguay’s football legend Diego Forlan is looking forward to his adventure in professional tennis. “I enjoy it like a little boy and the privilege of playing in a professional tournament is a luxury,” said the 45-year-old former top striker on Tuesday in Montevideo.
In the Uruguayan capital, Forlan will be playing in a professional ATP tournament for the first time from November 11th. He will be competing in doubles at the Challenger “Uruguay Open” alongside Federico Coria from Argentina.
The 32-year-old Coria from Argentina, younger brother of the former top 10 player and French Open finalist Guillermo Coria, is currently 103rd in the ATP world rankings.
Forlan said his debut was “a gift”: “So I don’t have to prove anything to anyone. I’m trying to prepare as well as I can, but it’s clear to me that I’m not on the same level as professional players.” Tennis, says Forlan, is a sport that he “enjoys” but that he doesn’t master “like football.”
Forlan’s professional debut doesn’t come as a complete surprise. Since the end of his great football career, the former Celeste record player has repeatedly picked up the racket in smaller amateur tournaments and on the senior tour – even as a teenager he was considered a highly talented tennis player.
During his football career, Forlan played for Manchester United, Atletico Madrid and Inter Milan, among others. He became English champion and won the Copa America and the Europa League. At the 2010 World Cup he won the Golden Ball as the best player of the tournament.
Before the Uruguayan, ex-Italian international Paolo Maldini had already played a tennis match on the professional tour as a former footballer. Together with his coach, the five-time Champions League winner lost in two sets (1:6, 1:6) in the first round of the double tournament at the Challenger in Milan in 2017.
