News, Reviews, Headlines for the world of Tennis (tennis news)
 | Diego Maradona and tennis - a friendship for eternity29-11-2020 |
Diego Maradona and tennis - a friendship for eternity
November 25, 2020 will forever remain in the history of sports as a very, very sad date. Because one of the greatest athletes left us - the great Diego Maradona left this world only at the age of 60, and he left behind many and unforgettable memories from his performances on the football field. But football alone cannot embrace a unique person like Don Diego. We can also see his influence in tennis. Maradona was a big fan of the game, and a generation of Argentine tennis players drew inspiration from him. The most iconic case is from 2016, when he arrived in Zagreb to support Argentina in the Davis Cup final against Croatia, and according to the tennis players themselves, his presence helped a lot for the famous turnaround and the first title in the Gauchos tournament.
With 2-1 victories for Croatia, Marin Cilic led with 2-0 sets for Juan Martin del Potro. However, the Tower of Tandil made a phenomenal turn, and in the decisive match Federico Delbonis defeated Ivo Karlovic in three sets, bringing great success to Argentine tennis. And there was no happier man in the stands than Maradona.
His appearances in the stands of Davis Cup matches were generally constant, and the team tournament is far from the only one that interested the Argentine. He has also been a guest at the ATP Finals and other major tennis tournaments, and over the years has always had warm relationships with big stars such as Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic.
His presence on the court dates back to the times when he himself won hearts with his performances on the field. In 1984 he was in Paris and strongly supported John McEnroe in the final against Ivan Lendl.
A year ago in Argentina, Roger Federer played a demonstration match with Sasha Zverev, and after the match he was delighted with a message from Maradona himself: Hello, master, machine, as I call you. You are and will always be the greatest. There is no other like you. I want you to know that if you have any problems in my country, you can call me and tell me what you need. Kisses for your wife and your children. Like I said, you`re a machine, the greatest of all time.
The current ?1 in Argentine tennis Diego Schwartzman is named after the legendary football player. After his victory over Richard Gasquet at the Paris Masters, Schwartzman wrote on television for Fuerza Diego in support of his famous compatriot.
I haven`t seen him play, only on YouTube or videos I can see on TV, but he`s one of my idols. I love football and he is Argentine. Everyone knows Argentina because of Maradona. That`s why I wrote `Fuerza Diego` because he is suffering, he is not healthy at the moment and he had an operation last night.
Unfortunately, the support and prayers of the whole world were not enough and a great champion left us too early. Rest in peace, Don Diego!