Former Manchester United and Uruguay forward Diego Forlan is set to make his professional tennis debut in an ATP doubles event in his homeland next month.
The 45-year-old was a promising junior tennis player and has continued to play since hanging up his boots in 2019.
Having featured at International Tennis Federation Masters events, Forlan is set to partner Argentina’s Federico Coria in the doubles at the Uruguay Open second-tier ATP Challenger in Montevideo, which starts on November 11th.
A post on the tournament’s Instagram account read: “Attention tennis and sports fans!
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“This year at the Uruguay Open, we have an UNMISSABLE duo in doubles: Argentine tennis player Federico Coria (currently number 78 in the ATP ranking) and former Uruguayan football player Diego Forlan.
“Yes, our number 10 is smashing it in tennis too!”
Forlan signed for United from Argentinian club Independiente in 2002, and was part of Alex Ferguson’s squad which won the 2003 Premier League title and the 2004 FA Cup.
After making 98 appearances, scoring 17 goals, Forlan joined Spanish side side Villarreal and later played for Atlético Madrid as well as Inter Milan before spells in Brazil, Japan, Uruguay, India and Hong Kong.
He scored 36 goals in 112 appearances for his country, finishing as joint top goalscorer at the 2010 World Cup as Uruguay secured a third-place finish in South Africa, and winning the 2011 Copa America.
