Inside Diego Forlan’s journey from soccer star to pro tennis debut | ATP Tour

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Inside Diego Forlan’s journey from soccer star to tennis debut

The Uruguayan will play twice in the Montevideo Challenger alongside Coria

October 30, 2024

Football icon Diego Forlan was living a teenage dream in 1993 when he got the chance to live a double life with Argentine legend Diego Maradona. It was in the early stages of Forlan’s youth career, long before he became a star in his native Uruguay and beyond.

More than 30 years later, that day is still a precious memory for Forlan. Do you remember that the friendly match took place on Court No. 10 at the Carrasco Lawn Tennis Club in Montevideo. It is only suitable for a man to wear number 10 in Uruguay throughout his career will now compete for that club during the Uruguay Open, an ATP Challenger Tour 100 event, which runs from 11-17 November.

“Think about me, I got the chance to be close [Maradona] and the opportunity to play football and tennis – it was unbelievable,” Forlan recalled to a group of journalists. “We played football and played twice in tennis. We had a really good relationship. He was very competitive. It was a good game.”

In the Uruguay Open, Forlan, 45, will be playing doubles with the Argentine player. Sound familiar? This time it will be Federico Coria, World No. 104 in the PIF ATP Rankings.

Forlan and Coria have only met once, but this exciting pairing, which has caught the attention of tennis fans, is partly due to Uruguayan tennis player Ignacio Carou.

“[Ignacio] he played with me many times so that we can play for the future,” said Forlan. “This year I said to him, ‘No, I was on holidays, I don’t want to play’. A few months later, he sent me a photo of Federico Coria and said, ‘I have your Challenger partner in Uruguay’. I think it was a joke and he said, ‘You want to play with me, I’m not!'”

Forlan enjoyed an impressive football career for clubs such as Manchester United, Villarreal and Atletico Madrid. He represented Uruguay three times in the World Cup and in 2010, Forlan won the Golden Ball, awarded to the best player in the World Cup.

Right-footed in football, but left-footed in tennis, Forlan used to play a one-handed backhand, but now plays with a double-handed backhand. In the past 15 months, he has competed in five ITF Masters Tour events. Competing in the 45 and over category, Forlan’s best result came in his most recent outing in August, when he reached the final in Asuncion, Paraguay.

The two-time European Golden Shoe winner has been a tennis fan for a long time. Forlan’s ideal routine consists of two hours of practice on the court in the morning and later in the afternoon, he returns to the club, doing what he did against friends. Forlan is being coached by Uruguay’s former Davis Cup captain Enrique Perez-Cassarino.

^{Diego Forlan at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. Credit: Lars Baron/Getty Images}

Forlan remembers playing tennis at Manchester United’s pre-season event in 2003 at Nike’s headquarters in Portland, Oregon. On the other side of the net? His former team-mate Ruud van Nistelrooy, this week appointed interim manager of Manchester United – news Forlan learned about while driving home from the football basket.

“We played an equal break,” said Forlan about his 2003 hit with van Nistelrooy. “I was the only one working, so there were double faults, I gave him points. But I was able to win.”

Forlan also closely follows professional tennis results. Last week, he not only watched the ATP 500 events in Vienna and Basel, but also, Forlan broadcast live the ATP Challenger Tour event in Curitiba, Brazil.

What started as a childhood crush has turned into a complete obsession.

“I used to watch Boris Becker a lot. “I really enjoyed watching Ivan Lendl, Andre Agassi, Pete Sampras,” said Forlan.

“I remember when Goran Ivanisevic won against Patrick Rafter at Wimbledon [in 2001]. He [received a wild card] in that tournament – he didn’t have that chance to play because of his level. And he won the tournament. It was unbelievable. I remember the final because I was watching that game.”

Forlan’s wild card exit won’t be on the hallowed pastures of Wimbledon like Ivanisevic’s was, but it will still be one to remember. Forlan will compete a little bit with the field of love where he started playing football at the grassroots level.

“If you would have asked me when I was playing football that I would play a professional tournament in the ATP, I would not have thought of that,” said Forlan. “Playing with professional players is just one game, I will be enjoying it. Having a chance – I don’t know if I’m the first, but to be a professional footballer to be a professional footballer [tennis] player, just for one game… For me, it’s a privilege.

“I know it will be very difficult to play with those guys. But I have nothing to lose. It is an honor for me to get this opportunity from [tournament director] Diego Perez.”

Did you know?
Fans can watch all the ATP Challenger Tour action for free on Challenger TV, with live streaming and replays of the match.