Former world No 8 to join Rafael Nadal in retiring after this season as statement released
Diego Schwartzman has announced his upcoming retirement with a heartfelt statement.
Diego Schwartzman has announced that he will be the latest tennis star to end his career after this season. The former world No. 8 is set to say goodbye in his home of Argentina next year after a successful 15-year career which saw him win four titles and reach the French Open semi-final. It comes as fellow former top-10 stars Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray look set to hang up their rackets in the coming months.
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Schwartzman announced on Sunday that 2024 would be his final full season on the tennis tour before he retired. The 31-year-old shared an emotional message to his Instagram account after spending the last 18 months battling injuries and struggling for form.
The Argentine has yet to win a match at tour-level this year and he admitted that it was becoming difficult to enjoy himself on the court, prompting him to retire on his own terms at his home tournament next year. "What a trip! How many moments I never imagined, how many anecdotes 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," he wrote, alongside a series of photos of his tennis journey.
"Every corner of the court, every second training, every point competing, every moment I was immensely happy. 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."
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Although it was a tough decision for Schwartzman, the current world No. 142 explained that he wanted to have one last "beautiful" moment in Argentina. He continued: "On one hand, leaving a life that gave me so much is a too difficult decision, but on the other hand, how happy I was playing tennis drives me to keep wanting to keep the smile on and off the court as I always did. However, today that smile is sometimes difficult for me to find.
"Inside me, a competitive animal prevents me from enjoying, playing and travelling like I used to. I want my last tournaments to be my own decision. Let this 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 thanked his coaches, physios, friends and family as he ended his statement with a touching tribute to the sport. "Tennis has given me everything I have and much more that I will carry with me forever," he added.
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"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 them because 'El Peque' had a giant life. Ball, what can I tell you to close...? You made me run too much, laugh, cry, travel and meet.
"You gave me a lot and it's time to move on to another stage. See you soon tennis, to continue sweating until the last drop and working like a professional until the last point I get to play on a court, El Peque."
Schwartzman is the latest player from his era to announce his retirement. Nadal looks primed to end his career this season after spending the better part of the last two years sidelined by injuries. Although he has not committed to it, he has said on multiple occasions that 2024 is likely his last season on tour. And Murray is planning to stop playing after this summer, with Wimbledon, the Olympics of the US Open looking like the most likely venues for his farewell.
