A retired footballer, who stunned South Africans with his goals at the 2010 FIFA World Cup, is set to make his professional debut in another sport next month.
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Former Manchester United and Atletico Madrid forward Diego Forlan, 45, is gearing up to make his ATP Challenger tennis debut in the doubles competition at the Uruguay Open in November.
The former Uruguay international will partner with Argentinian Federico Coria, who is currently ranked 101 in ATP singles.
The tournament, part of the ATP Challenger Tour – the second-highest tier of tennis competition – will take place from 11 November to 17 November in Montevideo, the capital of Uruguay.
Diego Lopez, the tournament director for the Uruguay Open, has confirmed that Forlan has accepted an invitation to compete.
"I have his confirmation that he wants to play; he has been preparing for some time, training a lot in tennis," he said, according to ESPN.
"I think he deserves this opportunity and give him this mutual satisfaction. Of course, I'm talking about our beloved Diego Forlan."
Forlan retired from professional football in August 2019, having also enjoyed stints with Villarreal, Atletico and Inter Milan.
He famously won the Golden Ball award for the best player at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, where Uruguay reached the semi-final stage.
Forlan returned to tennis in 2023, having played the sport as a child.
"My father played football and after retiring at the age of 41, he started playing tennis," he has previously explained.
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"I started (playing tennis) when I was two. Then it is known that I dedicated myself to football before dedicating myself to this sport as often as I do now."
By Kurt Buckerfield
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