Diego Forlán (45) will debut in professional tennis tournament next month

Diego Forlán was an avid tennis player growing up but ultimately decided to focus on football. He became a star at Atletico Madrid and was crowned the best footballer at the World Cup in South Africa. A year later, he would also guide his country to a Copa América victory. He also won the European Golden Boot, the trophy awarded to the top scorer in all leagues across Europe, twice during his career.

It’s clear Forlán became a superstar on the football pitch, but he now gets an opportunity to showcase his tennis talent. After ending his football career, the Uruguayan has often competed in tennis tournaments for people over the age of 40 besides focusing on his managerial career in football. In summer, Forlán mentioned that he enjoys challenging himself in life. ”This is a completely different sport for me and I enjoy the challenge of competing against very good players from different countries.”

Forlán is not the only footballer to have played tennis at a professional level. The Englishman Michael Boulding (48) was a professional tennis player until the age of 22 and was ranked among the top 20 players in Britain. After retiring, Boulding decided to fully focus on his football career and played for clubs such as Aston Villa, Grimsby Town, Mansfield Town and Bradford City. AC Milan legend Paolo Maldini also played in a professional doubles ATP tournament in Italy in 2017.