Diego Schwartzman clarifies if he indeed wanted to retire amid rough 2023 season

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• ATP Tennis

Diego Schwartzman, 31, says it is not true that he considered retiring from pro tennis this year. Schwartzman, a former world No 8, is now ranked at No 130 in the world and he is having probably the roughest season of his career.

Schwartzman, who was ranked inside the top-15 just last year, has had a very rough season that has been marked by early exits and he is just 12-22 at the main level this year. At one point between April and May, Schwartzman picked up five consecutive defeats.

At the time, there were reports suggesting Schwartzman was thinking about retiring. Schwartzman, who has made the round-of-16 at the ongoing Shanghai Masters, says he didn't think about walking away from tennis.

Schwartzman: I never said I was leaving tennis

“I never considered leaving tennis, I never said this.

What I did experience was a combination of many things, something that is always difficult for South American players to handle, since we are away from home much more than the rest, months and months away from your people.

We're talking about 7-8 months traveling non-stop, competing far from home, without seeing your family and friends. Although well, I recognize that when things are going well for you you also feel that stress and mental pressure.

Today I am very happy for everything I did, I am still very happy, so I will try to play as many tournaments as I can to maintain this level. If I show this level, even if I lose, I am satisfied," Schwartzman said, via The Tennis Letter.

Diego Schwartzman says he never considered leaving tennis:

“I never considered leaving tennis, I never said this. What I did experience was a combination of many things, something that is always difficult for South American players to handle, since we are away from home much… pic.twitter.com/InasH2cb81 — The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) October 9, 2023

On Monday, Schwartzman clinched the biggest win of his season when he defeated world No 8 Taylor Fritz 6-4 3-6 7-6 (5).

In Shanghai, Schwartzman has rediscovered some of his old form and has managed to win three matches in a row. It remains to be seen how far can Schwartzman go in Shanghai.