Retiring Diego Schwartzman completely remembers the second when he felt a change in his physique because the Argentine reveals nothing has been the identical since 2022 Hamburg.
Initially of the 2022 season, the five-time ATP champion was hovering across the top-15 on the planet and nonetheless considered one of many higher gamers on the Tour.
And whereas he had some good and stable leads to the primary a part of that season, his kind completely collapsed within the second a part of the yr and he even completed 2022 on a seven-match dropping streak.
However earlier than his dropping streak began on the 2022 US Open, Schwartzman picked up a 5-7 4-6 loss to Emil Ruusuvuori within the Hamburg first spherical in mid-July of that yr.
“The beginning of the end of my career came in Hamburg in 2022,” the 32-year-old wrote in a column for the ATP web site.
“I lost in the first round in a close match, but something was not right. My body did not answer the questions that day. I was feeling emotions during the match, but not good ones. My hands were shaking a little bit. I was struggling with irritation and cramping.
“I believed that possibly I used to be somewhat bit drained and that I needed to relaxation.”
Diego Schwartzman© Diego Schwartzman/Instagram – Fair Use
Schwartzman: I was never the same after
After years of posting winning seasons and doing solid things on the ATP Tour, the Argentine went 16-29 in 2023 and even exited the top-100.
Since the start of 2024 didn’t bring anything better to the former world No. 8, he announced last May that he would retire from pro tennis at the ATP 250 event in Buenos Aires in 2025 February.
Last year, Schwartzman didn’t collect a single ATP main draw win and he also finished the 2024 season ranked at No. 370 in the world.
“However generally that occurs to tennis gamers. For a number of weeks your tennis, the thoughts and every thing else don’t work,” the 2020 French Open semifinalist added.
“You go dwelling, relaxation, get better and that helps. However this time, I felt completely different. I used to be by no means the identical.”
After dropping to Camilo Ugo Carabelli within the Rosario Challenger first spherical final week, Schwartzman is now set for the final event of his profession in Buenos Aires, the place he performs in opposition to Nicolas Jarry within the first spherical.
