Diego Forln: Playing with professionals, just one match, you never know | Tennis

bBefore the start of the Uruguay Open, the organizers of the second-tier ATP Challenger tournament organized had an announcement. After flooding their social media pages with references to just one participant throughout the week, a date was finally confirmed the unmissable match and tickets were on sale: prepare for an epic evening that will remain in the memories of the Uruguay Open, they wrote.

It's incredibly rare for a first-round match on the lowly challenger or future tours to generate enough attention for the tournament organizers to schedule the exact date and time in advance. In doubles, which is usually relegated to the outdoor courts in the presence of no one, this is almost unheard of. But this is not a normal occasion. On Wednesday at 10am local time, after weeks of publicity, interviews and hype, former Manchester United, Villarreal, Atltico Madrid and Inter footballer Diego Forln will make his professional tennis debut alongside Argentina's Federico Coria in Montevideo.

Forln's first tennis appearance is the next step in a journey that started as a child. He grew up playing tennis and soccer and trained at the Uruguay Opens tournament venue, Carrasco Lawn Tennis Club. When the time came to dedicate himself to one sport, Forln chose to pursue football, following the path set by his father, Pablo, and maternal grandfather, Juan Carlos Corazzo, both of whom also played internationally for Uruguay. had in mind.

Since his retirement, Forln has dedicated himself to tennis again and now trains four to five times a week under the tutelage of Enrique Prez Cassarino, the former Uruguay Davis Cup captain. Although he is right-footed on the field, the 45-year-old is left-handed on the field. Last year he started competing on the ITF Masters Tour and played in five tournaments. He has achieved some success, especially in the 45+ category, where he reached the final in August and rose to number 101 in the age group rankings.

This one-off appearance on the professional circuit is the result of the perseverance of Uruguayan tennis player Ignacio Carou. After repeatedly urging Forln to compete on the lower term circuit, Carou decided to connect Forln and Coria. [Now] We are here trying to see what it will be, says Forln, smiling.

The gap between the ATP Challenger tour, where many players are close to breaking through to compete at the highest level every week, and the amateur 45+ Masters Tour is enormous. While it may be a spectacle to see one of football's greats in action, it will be extremely difficult for Forln to hold their own on the pitch.

I'm far away from those boys, he says. For me everything is positive. Playing with professionals, just for one game, you never know, but I know it's hard. I will enjoy.

It will be with so many people in my club, nice weather. To have the opportunity, I don't know if I'm the first, to be a professional football player and a professional tennis player, just for one match, is a privilege.

This event also reflects one of the unique facets of the sport: Open, as many tournaments are called, means truly open. Anyone can participate in a professional tournament if he/she receives a wild card or if the entry threshold is low enough, as long as he/she completes the required forms and participates in the anti-doping pool.

After all, this is the sport of 77-year-old Gail Falkenberg who regularly competed in singles last year on the ITF World Tennis Tour, winning a match and facing Naomi Osaka and Taylor Townsend in professional matches. At the lower level of the sport there are sometimes even novice or intermediate players who invest a lot of time and resources in losing 6-0, 6-0 around the world.

Forln may not fall into that category, but his cameo on the tour will be tough. He will face fourth seeds Federico Zeballos and Boris Arias, doubles specialists ranked 109th. Forln's incredible record and achievements as a footballer stand in stark contrast to his opponents' modest experiences as professional athletes. The Bolivian couple have each earned $35,919 (28,082) in 2024 after incurring expenses for 11 months while traveling and competing around the world. This is serious for them. They fight an uphill battle to make a living and they must ruthlessly attack the weaker link, Forln, to get ahead.

Unlike Paolo Maldini, who brought the football legend into the professional tennis pipeline by competing in a Milan ATP Challenger event alongside his 46-year-old coach Stefano Landonio at the age of 49 in 2017, finishing with 6 -1, 6-1, Forln will do so at the age of 49. at least have a strong player next to him. Coria, the younger brother of former No. 3 Guillermo Coria, is 32 years old and is ranked 101st in singles and is the third seed in the singles draw.

Coria publishes a popular vlog which charts his life on tour. With a doubles ranking of 413 and a 2-9 record in doubles this year, this match won't impact his career aspirations, but the YouTube content will be spectacular.