Diego Schwartzman is not having a good time on the court, and he suggested that his career might be over if his recent cryptic tweet is anything to go by.
Schwartzman is a former World No. 8 with ATP titles to his name. His most recent title success was three years ago when he won the Argentina Open in Buenos Aires.
At his absolute peak form, the diminutive Argentine was a nuisance for the ATP's established stars, especially on clay. He owns 13 wins against the Top 10 players, including Rafael Nadal, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Alexander Zverev, and Dominic Thiem.
Schwartzman famously reached his one and only Grand Slam semifinal at the 2020 French Open. But that almost feels like ages ago because, in current form, he looks a shadow of that player.
The 31-year-old lost his 11th match of a dreadful year that has seen him sink to a lowly ATP ranking of No. 142. For a man who was ranked World No. 13 just two seasons ago, Schwartzman's big fall from grace has been one of the most disappointing stories of the last 18 months.
In multiple interviews in the past year, he has been candid about his struggles. In early 2023, Schwartzman opined that his father's illness had a negative impact on his performance, adding that he "could not focus" on his career.
The four-time ATP title has been a stalwart for Argentinean men's tennis but has since been surpassed by players like Francisco Cerundolo, Tomas Martin Etcheverry, and Sebastian Baez.
Even young talents like Mariano Navone, Facundo Diaz Acosta, and Francisco Comesana have gradually overtaken him in the rankings. Schwartzman was competing in the qualifying round of the Madrid Open, where he was beaten at the first hurdle by Albert Ramos Vinolas.
After the match, he took to X (formerly Twitter) to write that it was the end of the road, with celebratory and laughing emojis sparking retirement speculation. It could merely mean that it was the end of his tournament, but several tennis fans in the comments are deciphering the message as a retirement.
"End of the journey...."