Forlan like Maldini. After football he tries tennis

After a life of goals, scored and missed, assists, incursions into the penalty area and blows taken by defenders, Diego Forlan has decided to change his life and the playing field. At the age of 45, the former Manchester United and Atletico Madrid striker is ready to debut on the professional tennis circuit. He will do it at home, in Uruguay, participating in the Montevideo Challenger, in doubles with a tennis player, son of art, Federico Coria, currently number 101 in the world but in the past entered the top 50.

Forlan hung up his boots in 2019 but he said he was ready for this new adventure which will start on November 11th. And his story makes the news precisely because he is a champion used to winning who starts from scratch, to try to have fun and amaze. Let’s just talk about trophies: on his board, among others, there are titles in the Premier League, and successes in the Copa America and the Europa League. But not only that. Individually he was voted best player at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa (when he was top scorer) and twice won the golden boot as best scorer among players participating in the European championships.

His love for tennis is long-standing. But the crazy idea of ​​taking to the field intensified after Covid. Forlan began participating in smaller tournaments in 2023, taking part in events dedicated to athletes over 45. “He has been preparing for some time, training a lot in tennis” Uruguay Open tournament director Diego López told the Tenistas Sin Saque podcast. “I think he deserves this opportunity.”

The previous all-Italian one

Not everyone remembers this but a similar parable was followed, in 2017, by Paolo Maldini. The former Milan captain played a Challenger tournament, in doubles, together with Stefano Landonio, in 2017 in Milan. The two lost 6-1 6-1 facing a strong pair for the level of the tournament: the Dutch Pel and the Polish Bednarek. The defender spoke about that experience in a very positive way but immediately stated that it would remain an isolated experience. Forlan, however, hopes that it is the beginning of something more concrete but, as in football, the pitch will do the talking.