Diego Schwartzman says in a Rafael Nadal & Novak Djokovic-less time, he would have done better at Grand Slams

Ahead of bidding tennis adieu in front of his home crowd at the 2025 Argentina Open, Diego Schwartzman penned an emotional letter to his fans, opening up about his feelings at this stage. The Argentine talked about how the likes of Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic posed a huge impediment in his path to the latter stages of the Grand Slams.

Schwartzman, lovingly called El Peque by his fans (Meaning 'Shorty' in Spanish), enjoyed a successful career in tennis, winning four titles, including one in front of his home crowd in Buenos Aires, and reaching a career-high World No. 8. He also enjoyed some deep runs in Grand Slams but more often than not, his runs were brought to an end by the two men with the most Major triumphs in history - Djokovic (24) and Nadal (22).

Speaking about his matches against them, Diego Schwartzman expressed pride in never going down against them without giving it his absolute best.

"I lost seven times in the second week of Grand Slam tournaments to Rafa or Nole. I was playing so well. If I didn't have these guys in front of me, I think I could have gone even deeper in these tournaments," Schwartzman told atptour.com

"But I am proud that I never went down against these legends without a fight, and it is nice that fans still remember that."

Some of the 32-year-old's heartbreaking losses to Rafael Nadal include the quarterfinals and the semifinals of the 2018 and 2020 French Open respectively, and the quarterfinals of the 2019 US Open. He was stopped by Novak Djokovic in the fourth round of the 2022 French Open.

The Argentine shocked the tennis world when he unexpectedly announced his retirement from tennis in May last year. He was honored in a special ceremony by the French Open and the US Open following his final campaigns at both events.

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"Nobody gave me a gift, I earned this" - Diego Schwartzman holds his head high

Diego Schwartzman - Source: Getty

Diego Schwartzman stands at 1.7m tall, the reason behind his El Peque nickname. The Argentine may possibly be one of the first players of his height to compete in the upper echelons of tennis. He was delighted with people coming up to him and complimenting him about his tennis and fighting spirit.

"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."

Schwartzman proudly added:

"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 will commence the final campaign of his career at the 2025 Argentina Open, in front of his home crowd in Buenos Aires. He will take on the dangerous Nicolas Jarry in the opening round.