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.Listen to Tennis Insider Club on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1SDHHtfQmUS0TyP8wqJEh9Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tennis-insider-club/id1721351881Follow Tennis Insider Club: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tennisinsiderclub/ X: https://x.com/tennisinsidercl#DiegoSchwartzman #TennisInsiderClub #TennisPodcast #CarolineGarcia #ATP #TennisChapters / Timestamps00:00 Intro00:45 How Diego started playing tennis02:10 The financial reality of becoming a pro04:20 Managing outside support and pressure05:10 Moving from Argentina to Europe06:30 Why Diego didn’t play the traditional junior route07:30 Breaking through Futures and Challengers09:10 Building belief as a smaller player10:50 Did his height ever make him doubt himself?12:05 The tactics that shaped Diego’s game14:20 Winning without playing your best16:30 The team that pushed Diego to the limit17:10 Why Diego retired at 3218:00 Caroline and Diego on losing the fire19:45 Why athletes don’t have to play until 3521:15 The first signs something was wrong22:10 When winning no longer felt good23:20 Anxiety, burnout and listening to his body24:30 The psychologist who told Diego the truth26:45 Sponsors, money and the pressure to continue27:45 Announcing his retirement30:00 Crying after writing his retirement letter31:20 Did Diego have balance during his career?32:15 How COVID affected tennis players34:45 Playing the ATP Finals with no fans36:35 Diego’s best memory from his career37:35 Why Diego kept tennis simple38:40 Why your team matters so much40:05 The Argentinian mentality in tennis41:05 Alcaraz, Ferrero and staying fresh42:50 Diego’s advice: invest in your team44:45 Facing Rafa, Novak and Roger45:25 Why Djokovic was the hardest opponent46:10 The chaos of tennis scheduling47:40 Was Diego born in the wrong era?48:50 Giving back to South American tennis49:30 Could Diego become a coach? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.