Former Uruguay striker Diego Forlan made his professional tennis debut in a doubles match at the Uruguay Open on Wednesday, just over five years after retiring from soccer.

The 45-year-old Forlan, regarded as one of the best strikers of his generation, took to the tennis court alongside his doubles partner Federico Cori of Argentina after they were granted wild-card entries.

Despite the support of a sell-out crowd, Forlan’s debut ended in defeat, as he and Cori fell 6-1, 6-2 to Bolivia’s Boris Arias and Federico Zeballos in the first round of the ATP Challenger Tour event in his home city of Montevideo.

The ATP Challenger Tour is one rung below the main ATP Tour.

Forlan and Cori had only one break point, which they failed to convert, while their fourth-seeded opponents converted four of their six break points.

Forlan’s inexperience showed as he and Cori also won only 63% of their second serve returns points – significantly lower than Arias and Zeballos’ tally of 77%.

Despite losing, Forlan was happy with his experience.

“I enjoyed it quite a lot,” Forlan, a right-footed soccer player and a left-hander in tennis, said after the match according to Reuters.

“I knew that the possibility of it being a difficult game for us was very high.

“I was happy. It’s not easy at all. I played an exhibition in 2017 and 2018 and I didn’t have the experience of today,” he added.

Forlan’s Route To Pro Circuit

Forlan made his pro tennis debut after playing amateur Master’s tournaments in the last five years.

His appearance at the ATP Challenger Tour event was likely a one-off on the professional circuit as the gap between the second-string tour and the amateur 45+ Masters Tour is quite big.

“I’m far away from those guys,” Forlan told the Guardian before the match.

“For me, everything is positive. Playing with professionals, just for one game, you never know, but I know it’s difficult. I will enjoy.”

Forlan’s Impressive Soccer Career

Forlan retired from soccer in August 2019 after playing for some of the biggest clubs in the men’s game, including Manchester United, Atletico Madrid and Inter Milan.

Known for being a complete and versatile forward, Forlan won the 2002-03 Premier League with Man United and the Europa League in 2009-10 with Atletico.

He also had an impressive international career, scoring 36 goals in 112 appearances, the third-highest in Uruguay’s history.

Forlan is well-known for his heroics during the 2010 FIFA World Cup, where he finished as the tournament’s top scorer with five goals and also won the Golden Ball for the best player.

He also scored twice in the 2011 Copa America final, guiding Uruguay to their first continental trophy in 16 years.

After hanging up his boots, Forlan had a brief managerial stint, taking charge of Penarol and Atenas in 2020 and 2021 respectively.