Diego Schwartzman recently joined the troupe of players who will put down their racquet once and for all. As fans start to bid adieu to the former World No. 8, reminiscing about his intense battles on-court makes all of us emotional. Especially when it comes to his matches against the “King of Clay,”  Rafael Nadal.

Through an emotional Instagram post, the 31-year-old player announced his impending retirement following the 2024 season. With a winless year at tour-level and a fading passion for the game, Argentinian chooses to retire next year, seeking a final flourish at his home tournament. After sharing this news along with posting pictures of his career on the court from childhood, he admitted that those are “the moments I never imagined” and “anecdotes I have never dreamed”.

“Every corner of the court, every second training, every point competing, every moment I was immensely happy. I lived it so intensely that today it’s hard for me to keep up. All those beautiful moments have become something that carries weight today and I find it hard to keep enjoying fully,” read a part of the heartfelt retirement announcement note.

Adding to the scenes, the news surfaced on social media before Schwartzman’s Italian Open match, where he once defeated the King of Clay, Rafael Nadal. Inclusion to the iconic 2021 Roland Garros match, the two have faced each other 12 times on-court. And out of those, Rafael Nadal has emerged victorious 11 times. But irrespective of the results, their fiery clash reminded all of us about their incredible prowess and how Schwartzman used to always keep Nadal running for points. 

Especially in the Roland Garros matches, where they have faced twice in quarterfinal matches and once in a semifinal match. After having a firsthand experience of Nadal’s unbeatable force on-clay, Diego Schwartzman once admitted, “It’s almost impossible to match Nadal’s intensity on clay.”

Therefore, looking back into his career, it is almost impossible to ignore the two players’ battles on the court. As Rafael Nadal is also expected to announce his retirement after the season, there will surely be a void in the tennis world. As we bid farewell to the Argentinian player, various tweets flooded social media, reminiscing about his career accomplishments. 

Fans react to Schwartzman’s retirement and his unforgettable matches with Rafael Nadal

Fans recalled his intense matches with Rafael Nadal and, at the same time, sent their heartfelt wishes to him. One fan said his matches against “Rafa were so good”. The fan also wished him the best of luck for his career ahead before retirement. “Always enjoyed watching you play, Diego. Those matches with Rafa were so good!! Enjoy the rest of your tennis career and have the best tournament in Argentina in 2025.”

This fan recalled the pre pandemic moments of Diego Schwartzman’s matches. Because he played three quarterfinals against Rafael Nadal in the single year of 2019 and 2020, winning one.! He called this as the “peak” of his career so far. “Streets won’t forget your blindingly high peak in those pre-pandemic years, Peque! Happy Retirement.”

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One fan simply appreciated him by calling him “a true legend of the sport”. Although disappointed with the news of his retirement, the fan expressed that he is “proud” of Schwartzman, and called him an inspirational figure in tennis.

Another fan wrote about the “unforgettable” matches that he has had with Rafael Nadal and said “all the best” to him. “All the best Diego!! Such a good guy and his matches against Rafa are unforgettable!!”

This fan recalled when the then-defending champion Diego Schwartzman retired from the Rio Open because of a right leg injury. “When Delpo was injured in 2019 I stopped watching this sport”. But he admitted that watching Schwartzman play at the Rome 2020 and beat Nadal made him interested in tennis again. “in Rome 2020 I got hooked again and you were responsible, from then on I reprimanded myself with tennis.” Schwartzman stunned nine-time Rome champion Nadal 6-2, 7-5 after two hours and four minutes on Saturday evening to reach the semi-finals of the Internazionali BNL d’Italia. For this, he said, “Thank you” to him and appreciated his career’s ranking as well. “Thanks Diego!! Thank you for so many joys. You were 8 in the world, not everyone can say the same.”

And as Diego Schwartzman progresses towards the last phase of his career, his legacy will undoubtedly be remembered especially his clay court battles with Rafael Nadal.