(Watch) Uruguay football legend Diego Forlan tries his hand at tennis

Diego Forlan is now showcasing his skills with the racquet.

Diego Forlan is undoubtedly one of the greatest football players Uruguay has ever produced. The flamboyant striker had a distinguished career, playing for some of the most decorated clubs in Europe, including the likes of Manchester United, Villarreal and Atletico Madrid.

Diego Forlan, at 45, is trying his hand at a sport he has loved since he was a small boy, tennis. The Uruguayan was once very good at the racquet sport, but ultimately decided to play the beautiful game, as was the tradition in his family.

Diego Forlán 🇺🇾 compite en el MT1000 de Lima 🎾. Y compite en serio: le ganó 6-0 y 6-2 a Gonzalo Carreño y por doble 6-0 a Jorge Hernández para avanzar a octavos de final en la categoría +45. Ya había participado en eventos MT400. 👇📹 @Septimo_Gamepic.twitter.com/GCY5nBf73O

— VarskySports (@VarskySports) June 19, 2024

The Uruguayan is currently ranked 567 in the 40+ doubles rankings and 1441 in the 45+ doubles rankings on the ITF site. He has mostly played on clay and is competing at the MT1000 in Lima. In the first round, the former Atletico Madrid player defeated Chile’s Gonzalo Carreno 6-0, 6-2.

In the second round, he got the better of Peruvian Jorge Hernandez 6-0, 6-1. The 45-year-old will now take on the tournament’s fifth seed Pablo Rojas-Holch in the Round of 16. Winning the first two matches and conceding just three games to his opponents is not bad for the former footballer on the tennis court.

Deigo Forlan began his professional career with Argentine club Independiente before moving to English Premier League giants Manchester United in 2002. The Uruguayan struggled to get going at Old Trafford, scoring just 17 goals in 97 appearances for the Red Devils.

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He struggled to break into Alex Ferguson’s playing XI, ahead of Ruud van Nistelroy and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and was subsequently sold to Villarreal in August 2004. The move proved to be a blessing in disguise for the South American, as he went on to have a celebrated career in Spain, for the Yellow Submarine and Atletico Madrid, winning the prestigious Pichichi trophy twice.

Diego Forlan became the first Uruguayan to win 100 caps for his national team. Meanwhile, he captained La Celeste to a fourth-place finish in the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. He was the joint top scorer with five goals in the first World Cup in Africa and was awarded the Golden Boot for his stellar performances.

He even played in the Indian Super League during the fag end of his career. The Montevideo-born attacker represented Mumbai City 12 times, scoring five goals and recording three assists in 2016.

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