By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Sunday May 5, 2024
Former fan favorite and World No.8 Diego Schwartzman has announced that he will retire next February, with the 2025 Argentina Open in Buenos Aires being his last tour event.
The 31-year-old broke the news on social media on Sunday, in Spanish (comments translated).
“How many moments I never imagined,” he wrote. “I never dreamed how many people I met that helped me grow, that taught me so much, that made me a player and a much better person than anyone ever thought I would be – including myself.”
“I lived it so intensely that today it’s hard for me to keep up. All those beautiful moments have become something that carries weight today and I find it hard to keep enjoying fully.”
Schwartzman, now ranked 142, has fallen on tough times on the court and found it difficult to win matches in the last few seasons. The 31-year-old is 0-6 thus far in 2024 at tour-level.
“I want my last tournaments to be my own decision,” he wrote. “Let 2024 be that way, hopefully getting the opportunity to compete in the tournaments I enjoy the most. And in 2025, in Argentina, to be able to have my final moment, the most beautiful closure I can imagine.”
Schwartzman owns 250 wins and four ATP titles. He reached the semifinal at Roland-Garros in 2020 and made four other major quarterfinals.
“Tennis has given me everything I have and much more that I will carry with me forever,” he wrote. “It was a wonderful journey and you guys were a vital part of it. That’s why I wanted to communicate it here and thank you because “El Peque” had a giant life.”