Diego Schwartzman, who will retire from tennis in February next year, was eliminated this Monday in the first round of the US Openin what will be his eleventh and final participation in the tournament.
The Argentine, 244th in the world, He was eliminated after losing 5-7, 6-2, 6-2 and 6-1 against Frenchman Gael Monfils (n.45) in 2 hours and 42 minutes of play.
The Buenos Aires native, who has not played on the circuit this year, reached the first round after going through the previous stage of the tournamentwhere he defeated three rivals with higher ATP rankings.
Against Monfils, who just beat Carlos Alcaraz in the Cincinnati Masters 1,000, The Argentine dreamed of victory when he took the first set after the Frenchman’s serve was broken twice.
But it is a mirage. Monfils would not drop a serve again throughout the matchwhile he broke the Argentine’s serve twice in a row in the second set, two more in the third and three times in the fourth and final set.
Schwartzman debuted at the US Open in the 2014 editionwhere he lost in the first round to Novak Djokovic. Since then, the Argentine has not missed an edition.
His best appearances were in 2017 and 2019, where he reached the quarterfinals of the tournament but were eliminated, respectively, along with Pablo Carreño and Rafa Nadal.
Schwartzman announced that he will hang up his racket in February 2024, after playing in the Buenos Aires tournament.
“It’s hard to speak. I’m the one who cries a lot, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t be crying now, I should be strong“, he said smiling at the foot of the track while the audience in the Grandstand stadium gave a standing ovation and tears.
The tennis player highlighted the “special moments” he experienced playing at the US Open and highlighted the support he has always received from the Latin American and American public.
“I don’t know why they take such good care of me every year and I’m not sure if I deserve it either but I am truly grateful for all the years I have been here.” he added.
Later, Schwartzman reflected in a press conference about how much it meant to him to have these special moments that he was about to leave the courts and rackets for good.
“I’m quite sensitive and it’s special to be able to retire this way in two of the ‘grand slams’ I’ve played. (he also did it this year at Roland Garros) and being able to enjoy with people beyond the results,” he said.
“Now I would have liked to do it like the first set, with more time to enjoy the match, because for a long time I suffered a little from fatigue. But as soon as the match is over and I live in small moment, I look back, the present and the future and it’s incredible,” he said.
Source: La Verdad
I’m Robert Maynard, and I am a passionate journalist with experience in sports writing. For the last few years, I have been writing for Today Times Live. My main focus has been on sports-related stories and features. With my strong background in journalism and extensive knowledge of the industry, I am able to provide readers with well-crafted pieces that are both informative and engaging.
