Diego Schwartzman Opens Up About Retirement, Anxiety & The Big 3

Diego Schwartzman joins Caroline Garcia and Borja Durán for a deeply honest conversation about the real cost of a life in professional tennis.

From growing up in Argentina with limited resources, to fighting his way through Futures and Challengers, to facing Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer on the biggest stages, Diego built one of the most respected careers in tennis through discipline, intelligence, resilience and heart.

But in this episode, Diego opens up about the side of tennis fans rarely see: the anxiety, the exhaustion, the constant travel, the pressure to keep going, and the moment he realized that even winning matches no longer felt good.

He shares why he decided to retire, what it felt like to write his retirement letter, why Djokovic was the hardest player he faced, what young players misunderstand about building a team, and why sometimes the bravest decision is knowing when to stop.

A raw, funny and emotional conversation with one of tennis’ most loved competitors.

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Chapters / Timestamps

00:00 Intro

00:45 How Diego started playing tennis

02:10 The financial reality of becoming a pro

04:20 Managing outside support and pressure

05:10 Moving from Argentina to Europe

06:30 Why Diego didn’t play the traditional junior route

07:30 Breaking through Futures and Challengers

09:10 Building belief as a smaller player

10:50 Did his height ever make him doubt himself?

12:05 The tactics that shaped Diego’s game

14:20 Winning without playing your best

16:30 The team that pushed Diego to the limit

17:10 Why Diego retired at 32

18:00 Caroline and Diego on losing the fire

19:45 Why athletes don’t have to play until 35

21:15 The first signs something was wrong

22:10 When winning no longer felt good

23:20 Anxiety, burnout and listening to his body

24:30 The psychologist who told Diego the truth

26:45 Sponsors, money and the pressure to continue

27:45 Announcing his retirement

30:00 Crying after writing his retirement letter

31:20 Did Diego have balance during his career?

32:15 How COVID affected tennis players

34:45 Playing the ATP Finals with no fans

36:35 Diego’s best memory from his career

37:35 Why Diego kept tennis simple

38:40 Why your team matters so much

40:05 The Argentinian mentality in tennis

41:05 Alcaraz, Ferrero and staying fresh

42:50 Diego’s advice: invest in your team

44:45 Facing Rafa, Novak and Roger

45:25 Why Djokovic was the hardest opponent

46:10 The chaos of tennis scheduling

47:40 Was Diego born in the wrong era?

48:50 Giving back to South American tennis

49:30 Could Diego become a coach?

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