Former Manchester United player to play first professional tennis match at 45 years old.

Diego Forlan, the former star striker for Manchester United, is gearing up for his first professional tennis tournament next month. At the age of 45, Forlan will make his debut at the Uruguay Open, where he will be partnering with Argentine player Federico Coria in the doubles event.

Forlan retired from football in 2019 after successful stints with Manchester United, Villareal, and Atletico Madrid. However, his love for tennis has never faded, and he was granted a wildcard entry into the Challenger Tour event in Montevideo. The Challenger Tour is considered the second-tier of tennis competitions, just below the prestigious ATP Tour.

Interestingly, Forlan was a talented junior tennis player before he decided to focus on a career in football. Since his retirement, he has been competing on the International Tennis Federation Masters Tour and is currently ranked just outside the top 100 for players aged 45 and over. In fact, he recently made it to the final of a MT400 level event in Paraguay, where he unfortunately lost to Argentina's Federico Pontarolo in straight sets.

In an interview with the Athletic earlier this year, Forlan revealed that he practices four times a week and was drawn back to tennis because of his love for staying fit and active. He also mentioned that he needed something more similar to football, where he can run and be physically challenged. While he still enjoys playing golf, he found that tennis provided a different kind of satisfaction.

Forlan's passion for tennis is evident in his dedication to the sport. He has been steadily improving and is now able to beat top players at his club and in tournaments around Uruguay. His partner Coria is a well-known player on the Challenger Tour, ranked at number 101 in singles and with seven tournament wins under his belt.

Forlan's football career was filled with many achievements, including winning the Pichichi Trophy twice for most goals in a La Liga season and earning the Golden Ball at the 2010 World Cup, where he played a crucial role in Uruguay's third-place finish. Now, he is ready to embark on a new challenge in the world of professional tennis, and we can't wait to see how he fares.

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