Schwartzman: "I'd like to be involved in the evolution of tennis".
Diego Schwartzman bid farewell to professional tennis in Buenos Aires, in front of his home crowd, after losing to Pedro Martinez 6-2, 6-2.
The local crowd turned out in force to cheer him on to the last point and pay a magnificent tribute that moved Schwartzman.
The Argentine regrets his performance: "I experienced a lot of emotions in the match against Jarry.
I think this match would have been the perfect end to my career because I showed the best of my tennis, and it will always be my last match in my mind.
Today, I wasn't ready to stay focused, it was impossible to ignore everything that was going to happen against an opponent like Pedro, who is in very good form.
Within 20 minutes of the match, I saw that it was impossible to win and I started to think about it and become tense about what I was going to experience."
Schwartzman also spoke about his career, the tough life of a tennis player and his future: "It's been a fantastic journey.
What I've experienced since 2017, when my sporting career took off, is incredible.
The whirlwind this sport takes you on is dizzying, and I've seen with my own eyes how difficult it is to stay in the elite.
Seeing myself so competitive over the last five years has been great, I've really enjoyed it. I'd like to be part of the sport's evolution.
I believe it's necessary to embrace changes that modernize tennis, give players the freedom to compete in other dynamic formats and attract young people.
I expect tennis to evolve a lot in this direction over the next decade, and I think players should have more influence."
