Former Uruguay and Manchester United striker Diego Forlan loses on professional tennis debut
Updated 14/11/2024 at 11:00 GMT
Former Manchester United and Uruguay striker Diego Forlan suffered a humbling defeat on his professional tennis debut, losing a doubles match with Federico Coria at the Uruguay Open. The pair were beaten 6-1, 6-2 by Bolivian duo Boris Arias and Federico Zeballos at the ATP Challenger event in Montevideo. Forlan received a wild card for the tournament after playing at Masters level.
Highlights: Forlan's professional tennis debut ends with doubles defeat in Uruguay
Video credit: SNTV
Diego Forlan says he is having a “delightful experience” playing tennis at a top level after the former Manchester United and Atletico Madrid forward lost on his professional debut.
The 45-year-old linked up with Federico Coria after being given a doubles wild card for the Uruguay Open, but the pair were beaten 6-1, 6-2 by Boris Arias and Federico Zeballos at the ATP Challenger in Montevideo.
Forlan was a promising junior but decided to focus on football at a young age, though he has played a lower level of tennis since retiring in 2019. He currently sits just outside of the ITF’s rankings for players 45 and over and 86th for the same category in doubles.
Pairing up with Coria, who has been ranked inside the ATP’s top 50 for singles, the high-profile team held serve early and although Forlan showed good skill at the net, they lost in just over 47 minutes.
"Everyone starts to speculate when you start a new career, right?” said Forlan after the match.Â
“The next thing is to keep playing, enjoying, and playing at the ITF level, where there is really good competition. The truth is that it's a delightful experience."
"I was well prepared for the level that I play at, the amateur level. It's a good level, not compared to a professional level, but well, I was ready.
“I began to feel a slight nervousness, and then I started to get ready for the game. The truth is that when I went into the match, I was quite calm for a sport that I don't know so well and I'm not used to this kind of scenario."
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Forlan became a cult hero at United after making a slow start, taking eight months to score his first goal for the club, but he made a name for himself at the club by scoring twice in a win over rivals Liverpool.
He went on to play for a host of clubs, including Atletico, and was named player of the tournament at the 2010 World Cup when he scored five goals in Uruguay’s run to the semi-finals.
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