Uruguay football legend Diego Forlan got a thunderous reception from the crowd as he made his ATP debut on November 13, Wednesday. Forlan carved out an exceptional international career with 36 goals in 112 appearances, famously leading Uruguay to the 2010 World Cup semi-finals.
After a decorated club career with stints at top European teams like Atlético Madrid, Villarreal, Inter Milan, and Manchester United—where he won a Premier League title—Forlan shifted his athletic focus to tennis after retiring in 2018.
Since then, he has competed in over three +40 tournaments in Montevideo and made an impression at the MT1000 in Lima on the ITF World Tennis Masters Tour. It was reported in October that Forlan would make his debut in doubles at the Uruguay Open tennis tournament.
On Wednesday, Forlan got a big reception from the crowd as he stepped onto the court. The football legend would take in all the love from the crowd before his match started.
How did Forlan’s debut turn out?
Forlan faced a tough start to his tennis doubles career alongside Argentina’s Federico Cori, as the pair fell to a 6-1, 6-2 defeat against Bolivia’s Boris Arias and Federico Zeballos at the Uruguay Open on Wednesday.
In his debut, the 45-year-old Forlan struggled to find his rhythm, with the Bolivian duo controlling the match from start to finish. Forlan and Cori managed just 27 points in the swift 47-minute contest, as the Bolivians’ intensity proved too much to handle.
Speaking after the defeat, as quoted by Reuters, Forlan said he enjoyed the match despite the result and knew it was going to be a tough match for him.
“I enjoyed it quite a lot. I knew that the possibility of it being a difficult game for us was very high. I was happy. It’s not easy at all. I played an exhibition in 2017 and 2018 and I didn’t have the experience of today,” an upbeat Forlan told a press conference.
The Challenger Tour event continues in Montevideo and will be till November 17.
