- British MPs debate contentious assisted dying law
- Macron offers first glimpse of post-fire Notre Dame
- Syria jihadists, allies shell Aleppo in shock offensive
- Japan government approves $92 bn extra budget
- Toll in Syria jihadist-army fighting rises to 242: monitor
- UK transport secretary quits in setback for Starmer
- Days before deadline, plastic treaty draft highlights disagreement
- Crypto boss eats banana art he bought for $6.2 million
- Teen news boss criticises Australian social media ban
- Taiwan detects 41 Chinese military aircraft, ships ahead of Lai US stopover
- Spain urged to 'build differently' after deadly floods
- WTO chief faces heavy task as Trump threat looms
- Herbert takes control at Australian Open as Smith tanks
- Israel PM again warns Iran after top diplomat talks of revising nuclear doctrine
- Brilliant Brook's 132 puts England on top against New Zealand
- US landmine offer to Ukraine throws global treaty into 'crisis': campaign group
- Singapore hangs 4th person in three weeks
- Five things to know about NewJeans' shock split from agency
- Waste pickers battle for recognition at plastic treaty talks
- Ireland votes in closely fought general election
- Top UN court to open unprecedented climate hearings
- European countries that allow assisted dying
- British MPs to debate contentious assisted dying law
- Schmidt not expecting hero's welcome on Ireland return
- PSG stuck between domestic dominance and Champions League woes
- 'Hot fight' as unbeaten Bayern visit Dortmund fortress
- Bordeaux-Begles' Samu 'not finished yet' with Wallabies
- Brook and Pope half-centuries haul England to 174-4 against NZ
- Yen rallies on rate hike bets as equity markets swing
- Ukraine superstar Mahuchikh brings 'good vibes' to her war-torn country
- PlayStation at 30: How Sony's grey box conquered gaming
- Saudi Arabia hosts UN talks on drought, desertification
- PlayStation: Fun facts to know as Sony's console turns 30
- Nepal's first transgender candidates run for local office
- Father of PlayStation says 'everyone told us we would fail'
- Ireland seek to overcome former coach Schmidt's Wallabies
- Detroit survive Bears comeback to make it 10 wins in a row
- Mexican actor Silvia Pinal dead at 93
- 'Black Friday' deals target inflation-weary US consumers
- Liverpool look to deepen Man City crisis, Amorim seeks first Premier League win
- England lose three quick wickets in reply to New Zealand's 348
- Social media companies slam Australia's under-16 ban
- Canada watchdog sues Google over 'anti-competitive' ad tech
- Hojlund gives Amorim winning Old Trafford bow, Roma hold Spurs
- Amorim wins first Man Utd home game after rollercoaster ride
- France arrests 26 as South Asian migrant trafficking ring smashed
- At least 15 dead, 113 missing, in Uganda landslides
- Netanyahu threatens 'intensive war' if Hezbollah breaches fragile truce
- Bilbao join Lazio at Europa League summit, Chelsea cruise in Conference League
- In Lebanon's Tyre returning residents find no water, little power
'Like a little boy': Uruguay's Forlan on his tennis pro debut
Former Manchester United and Atletico Madrid striker Diego Forlan said Tuesday that he felt "like a little boy" after swapping his football boots for a tennis racket at the age of 45.
Uruguayan forward Forlan was speaking at the launch of the Uruguay Open, where he will make his professional tennis debut next week.
"I enjoy it (tennis) like a little boy and having the privilege of playing a professional tournament is a luxury," Forlan said at the Carrasco Lawn Tennis Club in Montevideo which will host the tournament from November 10 to 17.
Forlan, who retired from the Uruguayan national team in 2015 and from club football in 2019, will play doubles with Argentina's Federico Coria, the 32-year-old brother of Argentina's Davis Cup captain, Guillermo Coria.
The winner of the Golden Ball for best player at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, who played tennis before becoming a professional footballer, has just made his debut in the over-40 circuit of the International Tennis Federation.
He said he was excited to compete on the courts where he played as a child.
"It's a gift, so I don't have to prove anything to anyone. I'm still a former football player enjoying a sport that I played from a very young age," he said.
He cited among his tennis heroes Uruguay's Diego Perez, Marcelo Filippini and Pablo Cuevas but also expressed admiration for Spanish legend Rafael Nadal, whom he described as a "fighter".
- 'Having a good time' -
The Uruguay Open, part of the ATP's second-tier Challenger Tour, is the country's biggest men's professional tennis tournament.
Besides Coria, it will also feature fellow top-100 players Francisco Comesana and Thiago Monteiro.
"I try to prepare in the best possible way, but I am clear about the fact that I am not at the level of professional players," said Forlan.
"First there is a significant age difference, even though I am in good condition physically."
He added that he knew "it will not be easy at all and that those who come here come to win".
"I do that in every sport, all the more so at professional level," he said, promising to do his best "and have a good time".
Over the course of his club career Forlan was twice the Spanish La Liga's top scorer.
He also won the Premier League with Man United in 2003, the Europa League with Atletico seven years later and helped Uruguay win the 2011 Copa America for a record 15th time.
Forlan said that while he had "greatly enjoyed" his time on the pitch he played "much more tennis" now.
"The truth is that I would never have imagined today that I would have the opportunity to play tennis at a professional level, not even close," he said.
"It's a sport that I play and that I have fun with, but I don't dominate it in the way I did football," he said.
F.Cardoso--PC