Manchester United cult hero Diego Forlán will make his professional tennis debut at the Uruguay Open.
Forlán, who enjoyed an illustrious football career that spanned more than two decades, played for some of the top clubs in Europe, including Manchester United, Villarreal, Atletico Madrid and Inter. He also appeared in 112 international matches for Uruguay and played an important role in his team reaching the 2010 World Cup semi-finals and winning the 2011 Copa America.
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The Uruguay legend decided to end his football journey in 2018 after last appearing for Hong Kong-based club Kitchee. Post-retirement, Forlán found a new passion in tennis and is now all set to make his professional debut at the Uruguay Open.
Diego Forlán is ready to take the court as a professional tennis player.
After a stellar career in football, Forlán has rekindled his passion for tennis, a sport he pursued fervently in his youth.
Former Manchester United forward Diego Forlan will make his professional tennis debut at next month’s Uruguay Open 🇺🇾😮 pic.twitter.com/5ZaSDzLXwm
— Sky Sports Tennis (@SkySportsTennis) October 22, 2024
Forlán is set to compete in the ATP Challenger Tour, which will take place in his home city of Montevideo from November 11 to 17. Forlán will participate in the doubles tournament alongside 32-year-old Argentine Federico Coria, currently ranked No. 78 in the ATP standings.
Forlán has a tennis background, having shown great promise in the sport during his youth, but ultimately chose a football career. After retiring from professional football in 2018, Forlán began competing in ITF veteran tournaments.
A statement from the tournament read: “Attention tennis and sports fans! This year at the Uruguay Open, we have an UNMISSABLE duo in doubles: Argentine tennis player Federico Coria (currently number 78 in the ATP ranking) and former Uruguayan football player Diego Forlán. Yes, our number 10 is smashing it in tennis too! This year, Forlán has competed in more than three +40 tournaments in Montevideo, also standing out in the MT1000 in Lima of the ITF World Tennis Masters Tour.
“Fun fact: Forlán is left-handed at tennis, the opposite of how he played football, and his right-hand stroke is the most powerful. What do you think of this news? Do you have faith in this duo?”.
He isn’t the only footballer to transition to tennis after retirement; former AC Milan defender Paolo Maldini also played in a Challenger event in Milan back in 2017.
