Uruguay’s Diego Forlan returns the ball to Boris Arias and Federico Zeballos during a men’s doubles tennis match with teammate Federico Coria at the 2024 Uruguay Open in Montevideo, Uruguay, Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Matilde Campodonico)
Uruguayan football star Diego Forlan might not have had the perfect start to his professional tennis career, but the 45-year-old has managed to attract crowds to stadiums to watch an ATP second-tier challenger tour.
Forlan debuted at the Uruguay Open on Wednesday, partnering Federico Coria of Argentina in men’s doubles. They however were outplayed in the opener, losing 6-1, 6-2 to Boris Arias and Federico Zeballos.
The 2010 FIFA World Cup’s Golden Ball winner and joint-highest scorer will surely know how to bounce back from a setback. After all, he’s had an astonishing football career, scoring more than 300 goals in the sport that took him to Italy, Brazil, Japan, India, and Hong Kong.
Here are five things you should know about his tennis career
He’s a tennis leftie, like his idol Rafael Nadal
Forlan is right-handed in everything he does, but in tennis, he’s a leftie, like one of his idols, the great Rafael Nadal. The story goes that when Forlan was about three years old, his brother told him to put the racket in his left hand, and the idea stuck.
He’s a right-footed footballer, but is extremely comfortable using his left boot too as he has shown on countless occasions.
Thought about becoming a tennis pro as a youngster
The world of football would be much poorer had Forlan decided to turn pro in tennis, a sport he was excellent at as a youngster. In fact, he was seen as a hugely promising talent and until his mid-teens mulled turning professional. In the end, he opted for football, following in the footsteps of his grandfather, father and brother.
Convinced by a friend to play again
A few years after he retired from football, Forlan was convinced by his friend to take up professional tennis. Carlos Obregon, a fellow Uruguayan who plays in the competition’s 65+ category convinced him to give the ITF Masters a go. He did warn him that it wouldn’t be easy though.
Made his debut in the 35+ age category
Forlan made his debut in the over-35s in Montevideo last July, reaching the second round. At the start of this year, he took things up another level, enlisting the help of his friend, former Uruguayan Davis Cup captain, Enrique ‘Bebe’ Perez. His ITF ranking for the 45+ category, out of around 2,000 players competing in multiple tournaments, is No. 102 for singles and No. 86 for doubles, which should go up as he plays in more tournaments. With his professional debut, he will no longer be in any age category.
His kids play both sports too!
Away from his ‘professional’ life, Forlan has four children – three boys and a girl – aged between eight and three. And like their dad, they’ve taken to both sports. The kids play regular football and tennis. Talk about a fourth generation of Forlan sporting stars.
© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd
First uploaded on: 14-11-2024 at 13:34 IST
