Diego Forlán, the retired football star, suffered a 6-1, 6-2 defeat in just 47 minutes during his professional tennis debut in a doubles event in Uruguay. The 45-year-old former Manchester United and Atlético Madrid striker, alongside his Argentine partner Federico Coria, lost to the Bolivian duo of Boris Arias and Federico Zeballos at the Uruguay Open in Montevideo. Forlán and Coria had received a wildcard entry for the ATP Challenger Tour event, which is one level below the main ATP Tour.
The match began with both teams holding serve, but Arias and Zeballos quickly gained control after breaking in the third game of the first set. The second set followed a similar pattern, with Forlán and Coria struggling to break their opponents’ serve and failing to earn any break points.
Although Forlán had been a promising junior tennis player before his football career, he only returned to the sport more seriously after retiring from football. He had been playing casually in the Montevideo club league and made his debut on the ITF Masters Tour in 2023.
Despite the loss, Forlán received loud support from the home crowd, and he took time to pose for photos with fans after the match.
