Diego Forlán, the former Manchester United striker, will make his professional tennis debut next month at an ATP doubles event at the Uruguay Open.
The 45-year-old, who has switched to tennis after retiring from football in 2019, will link up with the world No 101, Federico Coria of Argentina after the pair were given a wild card into the main draw at the clay-court Challenger event in Montevideo.
Forlán, a semi-finalist at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa who also enjoyed stints at Atletico Madrid and Inter Milan, was a keen tennis player during his teenage years and rekindled his love for the sport after hanging up his boots.
A left-handed player, he has been busy competing in ITF Masters events in the 45 and over category, but next month’s event in the Uruguayan capital is a second-tier Challenger event, meaning the former footballer required a wild card to enter.
“Yes, our No 10 is smashing it in tennis too,” organisers said of Forlán’s participation. “This year, Forlán has competed in more than three +40 tournaments in Montevideo, also standing out in the MT1000 in Lima of the ITF World Tennis Masters Tour.”
While rare, Forlán is not the only sportsperson to try his hand at two sports. Telegraph Sport looks back at notable multi-sport athletes.
Ten athletes who shone in different sports
Michael Jordan
(NBA and MLB)
Widely considered one of the greatest players of his generation, basketball icon Jordan played 15 seasons in the NBA between 1984 and 2003, winning six NBA championships with the Chicago Bulls. At the peak of his career, he switched to baseball and signed for the Birmingham Barons in 1993, but his foray in the sport would only last a year.
Sir Chris Hoy
(Cycling and Le Mans)
Widely considered one of Britain’s greatest Olympians, six-time Olympic cycling champion Sir Chris won 11 world titles over his illustrious career. His interest in motorsport racing led him to compete at the Le Mans 24 hour race in 2016, where he finished 12th in his class.
Ellyse Perry
(Cricket and football)
Perry made her debuts for Australia’s cricket and football teams aged just 16 and remains the youngest Australian to play international cricket and the first to have appeared in both ICC and Fifa World Cups. The all-rounder prioritised her cricket career from 2014, cementing her status as one of the greatest to have graced the women’s game.
Ash Barty
(Tennis and cricket)
Barty took a break from tennis in 2015 and pivoted to cricket, joining Brisbane Heat in the Women’s Big Bash League before returning to the WTA Tour. A three-time grand slam champion, the Australian’s French Open win kick-started her period of dominance in the sport. She lifted Wimbledon’s Venus Rosewater dish in 2021 before triumphing at the Australian Open the following year.
Lauren Price
(Boxing and football)
Olympic middleweight champion Price juggled the early part of her boxing career with a passion for football. She enjoyed a three-year stint at Cardiff City and has two caps for Wales, but the 2018 Commonwealth champion is better known for her success in the ring.
Victoria Pendleton
(Cycling and horse racing)
A three-time Olympic champion, track cyclist Pendleton claimed nine world titles during her career in the velodrome before making her competitive debut as a jockey in 2015. She competed at the 2016 Foxhunter Chase, where she finished fifth riding Pacha Du Polder.
Sonny Bill Williams
(Rugby and boxing)
Only the second person to represent New Zealand in rugby union after first playing for the country in rugby league, Bill Williams was part of the All Blacks teams that won the 2011 and 2015 World Cup. In 2009 he made his debut as a professional heavyweight boxer and has won all but one of his 10 matches to date.
Ian Botham
(Cricket and football)
Regarded as one of the great all-rounders of English cricket, Botham played 10 Tests over a 15-year career, taking 83 wickets at an average of 28.40. While he is best known for his cricket, he also played professional football, making his debut for Scunthorpe in 1980.
John Surtees
(Motorcyling and Formula One)
A seven-time Grand Prix motorcycle world champion, motorsport legend Surtees won the F1 championship in 1964 with Ferrari. He remains the only driver to win World Championships on both two and four wheels.
Denis Compton
(Cricket and football)
Another fine example of a multi-talented English sportsman, Compton was a right-handed batsman for Middlesex and played 78 Tests for England between 1930 and 1956 but also enjoyed a successful football career. He joined Arsenal in the 1936 season and helped them win the league title in 1948 and the FA Cup two years later, making 54 appearances.
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