Former soccer star Forlan makes his professional tennis debut in doubles

It's unexpected news, to say the least. At the age of 45, former Atlético Madrid striker and Uruguayan national team star Diego Forlan has been awarded a wild card for the doubles tournament in Montevideo, alongside Argentine Federico Coria.

Tennis has always been part of the Uruguayan's life. As a teenager, he played with Diego Maradona. Even during his professional soccer career, he never gave up the yellow ball, he tells L'Équipe: "You have to be very careful when you're a professional. Sometimes I played, but I stayed in the middle and just hit the ball. I avoided running too much."

Since his retirement in 2019, he has been following a serious program, with four to five two-hour training sessions a week. In July 2023, he makes his debut on the ITF World Tennis Master Tour, the veteran circuit, and already has to his credit a singles final in Asunción and a doubles title in Lima.

Forlan described the invitation to play doubles at the Montevideo Challenger, where he grew up and spent his childhood, as a "privilege". This Wednesday, he will play his first round match against the Federico Zeballos/Boris Arias pair, seeded No. 4 in the tournament. He explained that, above all, he enjoys playing alongside professional players.