Diego Schwartzman ended his profession in entrance of the house followers in Buenos Aires. The Argentine struggled to seek out his A-game for over two years and determined to finish his tennis journey in entrance of the partisan crowd.
Many colleagues despatched Diego to retirement with heat phrases and congratulations to the whole lot he has achieved. The 22-time Main winner Rafael Nadal was amongst them. The legend, who retired a couple of months in the past, praised his good good friend and cherished their reminiscences.
Schwartzman responded and joked with the Spaniard, thanking him for dropping as soon as in opposition to him! Rafa and Diego shared the courtroom 12 instances between 2013 and 2021, embracing ten duels at Majors and Masters 1000 occasions.
Nadal secured 11 victories, and his solely defeat got here within the 2020 Rome Masters quarter-final. The Argentine ousted the king of clay 6-2, 7-5 in two hours and three minutes, celebrating one in all his career-best triumphs.
El Peque masterclass 🤩
The day @dieschwartzman shocked Rafael Nadal in Rome! pic.twitter.com/Od5yVZtaOV
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) February 14, 2025
Rafa didn’t just like the situations at Foro Italico and couldn’t problem an impressed rival, particularly within the opener. The nine-time winner sprayed too many errors and struggled to maneuver his opponent from his consolation zone. Diego claimed 54% of the return factors.
He transformed them into 5 breaks and acquired damaged two instances. Schwartzman fired up his strokes and landed 31 winners and 17 unforced errors. Nadal stayed under that tempo, embracing a 21-30 ratio and hitting the exit door.
Rafael Nadal & Diego Schwartzman, Rome 2020© Stream screenshot
Nothing separated them within the shortest exchanges as much as 4 strokes. Diego took cost within the extra prolonged as soon as and outplayed the king of clay 49-31. They served nicely within the opening three video games earlier than Rafa earned a break likelihood at 2-1.
The Spaniard performed a free forehand, which might value him dearly. Schwartzman held and made a push on the return within the subsequent one. The lower-ranked participant fired a forehand down the road winner for 3 break possibilities.
Diego Schwartzman, Rome 2020© Stream screenshot
He painted one other forehand winner for a break and a 3-2 benefit. Diego cemented the break with a volley winner in sport six, opening the courtroom and conserving Rafa powerless. Nadal couldn’t discover options and suffered one other break in sport seven after a wayward drop shot.
The Argentine served for the opener at 5-2 and held after a deuce following the Spaniard's free backhand, clinching the primary a part of the duel in 48 minutes. Not stopping there, Schwartzman generated two break factors initially of the second set with a backhand crosscourt winner.
Rafael Nadal, Rome 2020© Stream screenshot
Rafa denied them and held after the rival's backhand error, ending his dropping streak. Diego defended a break level within the second sport and held at love two video games later with a drop shot winner for 2-2. Nadal performed in opposition to a break level in sport 5.
The nine-time winner saved it with a artful serve & volley combo and remained on the optimistic aspect. Schwartzman painted a backhand down the road winner within the sixth sport, holding at 15 and making a push on the return within the subsequent one.
With nothing working his method, Rafa performed one other free drop shot in sport seven, dropping serve and falling a set and a break behind. Rafa made a uncommon push on the return in sport eight and pulled the break again with a smash winner, locking the consequence at 4-4.
Diego Schwartzman & Rafael Nadal, Rome 2020© Stream screenshot
Diego left that setback behind and fired a forehand down the road winner in sport 9, incomes a break at love and serving for the win. The Spaniard refused to give up regardless of the plain wrestle. He broke again at love in sport ten and prolonged his possibilities.
Nevertheless, it was to not be for the king of clay. The Argentine offered one other break in sport 11 after a backhand winner and served for the win for the second time. He earned a match level after Nadal's wayward forehand and seized it with a volley winner.
