Diego Forlan and Paolo Maldini: When football icons turned to tennis
The Uruguay Open does not usually attract much international attention, but many in the tennis – and football – world watched on with avid interest on Wednesday night.
The reason for that was Diego Forlan, the Uruguayan football icon who, perhaps for one night only, made a sensational switch to tennis.
Playing alongside Federico Coria, Forlan’s debut unsurprisingly ended in defeat, though the 45-year-old showed signs of huge talent despite his loss.
However, he is not the first football great to try his hand at tennis – with Paolo Maldini having blazed a trail for him.
Maldini’s moment
Few sportsmen have built up the aura of Maldini, widely recognised among the greatest footballers of all time.
The Italian was arguably the greatest defender of his generation, playing 126 times for Italy alongside winning seven Serie A titles and five European Cup/Champions League titles with AC Milan.
Maldini called time on his playing career in 2009 but, having spent over two decades competing at the highest level of sport, that competitive urge unlikely to fade entirely.
The Italian, who retired aged 41, turned his attention to tennis.
Maldini is a weekly player at the Harbour Club Milano, which annually plays host to the Aspria Tennis Cup – one of several ATP Tour Challenger events in Italy.
Playing with his coach and former world No 975 Stefano Landonio, Maldini won a qualifier event which saw them seal a place in the main draw, ensuring his professional debut.
Maldini and Landonio were always going to face an uphill task, and their chances were not helped when they were drawn against former top-50 doubles players Tomasz Bednarek and David Pel.
In a contest held on Maldini’s 49th birthday – June 26th, 2017 – the Italian pair were beaten 6-1, 6-1 by Poland’s Bednarek and Dutchman Pel, the eventual tournament champions.
“It was like writing a poem after studying years of maths,” reflected the football great afterwards.
“We tried to enjoy the moment, because I didn’t expect I’d be able to experience something like this at the age of 49. Ironically, on the very first point of the match, I pulled a muscle.
“It was a unique and unrepeatable experience, I have lived it as a game and there will be no other experience like this.
“We could have played better on a few points, but no problem. It could have ended 6-0, 6-3, [but] we lost 6-1 6-1 and that’s fine.”
Maldini ended his professional tennis career almost as quickly as it started, though he certainly laid down the pathway for Forlan to follow.
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Diego’s day
A talented junior tennis player, Forlan ultimately chose to pursue football instead – a decision that worked out well for the legendary striker.
The Uruguayan is probably best remembered for his starring role at the 2010 World Cup, being named the player of the tournament and finishing as the joint-top scorer, helping his nation finish in fourth.
However, he was also a Premier League and FA Cup winner with Manchester United and a Europa League champion with Atletico Madrid, also playing for Villarreal and Inter Milan.
After retiring from football aged 39 in 2018, the Uruguayan slowly found his way back to tennis and has been playing on the ITF Masters circuit since July 2023.
A ranked player in the 35+, 40+, and 45+ age categories, Forlan attracted attention by reaching the quarter-finals of ITF MT1000 Lima 45+ this June.
That run helped earn him a wildcard into this week’s Uruguay Open, a challenger event held in his home capital city.
Playing alongside Coria, a former top-50 singles player, there were some signs of magic from the 45-year-old as he took to court against Boris Arias and Federico Zeballos.
It took just 47 minutes for his Bolivian opponents to claim a 6-1, 6-2 victory, with Forlan broken in all three of his service games, though the stands in Montevideo were full – everyone hoping to get a glimpse of one of their nation’s most famous sons.
“I’m grateful for the opportunity to play with Fede, it’s not easy for him to play these tournaments with an amateur at his side,” said Forlan, in quotes reported by Clay.
“I had never imagined or dreamed of this. It’s great to have played against professionals, you have to have the courage to do it.
“I’ll take a few volleys, a smash that came out well, also a few forehands in some exchanges of blows, in general I was happy.”
Despite a taste of professional life, Forlan looks set to focus more on enjoying the sport at Masters level, rather than pursuing any further professional ambition.
He added: “I know I have the chance to play ITF tournaments in the +45 category, which is where I was playing.
“The idea is to continue there, with people from Lawn Tennis, with friends, travelling and enjoying myself.”
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