"Nobody gave me a gift, I earned this": Diego Schwartzman pens emotional goodbye letter to tennis ahead of Buenos Aires farewell
ATP
Albeit a farewell that hasn't happened yet due to shocking weather in Buenos Aires, the curtain will potentially come down on the career of Diego Schwartzman this evening at the Argentina Open on home soil.
A player that reached a career high of World No.8, reached a French Open semi-final and won four career titles, his retirement has long been in the ledger as happening with it being earmarked for his home city. He penned an emotional essay in a love letter to tennis describing his career and what he has had to toil for throughout.
With his height, Schwartzman seemed destined to fail but he proved that through hard work and sacrifice from a young age that anything is possible and that in his words, he earned everything he had in tennis and was given nothing.
“Growing up, it was not easy for my family financially. I would travel with my mother and the hotel would never have a TV and at almost every tournament we shared a bed. Once we stayed somewhere because a room cost two pesos for the night," he penned in a lengthy letter on ATP's website.
"We scrambled to earn money to help me travel. We even sold rubber bracelets left over from my family’s old business to pay for these trips. I would run around tournaments selling them. Other kids would too, and we would give them some of the profit. So how did I make it as far as I did? I have no idea, really.”
“Something a lot of people spoke about was my height, 170 centimetres. I didn't like that during my career, because many times when I was playing good tournaments, everyone was asking me how I did it and how I was going to win the next match.
"It was all about my weight, my height and everything about my small body. Nobody is at the top without height, it's true. Barely anybody in the Top 100 is my height. I can’t lie, it was tough.
"I had to work so hard off the court so that my opponents did not feel I had less power or my movements were shorter or anything. For sure I know that height is a very important thing playing tennis. But more than 50 per cent the way you win matches comes from what you do away from the court.
"I really like when people say to me, ‘You were a fighter, but you were also a very good tennis player’. Just being a fighter, you are not going to be at the top of the sport. You need to play good tennis. You need to have a good forehand, a good serve and good movement. Just being a fighter does not get you to the top.”
“I was there because I was good at this sport. Nobody gave me a gift. I earned this. When I was young, I didn't expect to achieve what I did. But during my career, I belonged.”
Diego Schwartzman wrote a goodbye letter to tennis.
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) February 12, 2025
It’s heartwarming, inspiring, honest, emotional… everything that his career has been.
He remembers selling rubber bracelets with his mom at tournaments so they could afford traveling for tennis.
They even shared the profit… pic.twitter.com/ErLn44PUo6
Samuel GillEditor-in-Chief
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of TennisUpToDate.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces across the TennisUpToDate network, playing a central role in the daily operation and development of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has a broad background in tennis media. In his current role, he works closely with editors and writers to ensure coverage meets clear journalistic standards, with particular attention to verification, consistency, and timely updates when new information becomes available.
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