My New Tennis Hero, Diego Schwartzman.

I have a new tennis hero, Diego Schwartzman.

Technically, the term underdog would be a misnomer for a top-ten player on the ATP Tour.

At the time of writing, Schwartzman’s ATP ranking stood at fourteen. His quarter-final victory over Dominic Thiem at Roland Garros has guaranteed him a spot among the game’s top ten players.

Not bad for a player who stands tall at 5 feet 7 inches!

As per the player profiles on ATPTour.com, twelve of the thirteen players ranked above him are at least 6 feet 1 inch or taller. For more perspective, the likes of John Isner are nearly fifteen inches taller and forty-five kilos heavier than Diego Schwartzman.

It is not difficult to see Diego Schwartzman as the underdog among elite players. To compete on the ATP Tour, Schwartzman has to punch above his weight.

Shorter players like Schwartzman seldom make the ATP stats list for serve speed and aces. With first serves around a hundred miles per hour and second serves in the low eighties, Schwartzman is not your typical power player on the ATP Tour.

Schwartzman seems to handle his situation as an occupational hazard! As one of the best returners in the game, he has adopted the “make your opponent play one more shot” philosophy well.

Diego Schwartzman’s chances of winning a Grand Slam may be slim; but, it is not none.

Diego Schwartzman is an inspiration for the underdogs of tennis.

In professional tennis, qualifiers come and go.

You seldom recognize the qualifiers and the juniors unless he or she happens to be from your country. Peter Polansky and Brayden Schnur come to mind. Occasionally, they pull off an upset in the early rounds of a high-profile tournament and get the media’s attention. Then they become obscure tennis professionals trying to scrape up a living doing what they love to do. Only a few ever make it to the levels that Schwartzman has.

The qualifiers and the up and comers would be wise to note that it takes more than being tall to win tennis tournaments. Schwartzman appears to focus on what he does well. His never-say-die attitude ensures that he stays competitive against higher-ranked players.

There is no denying the fact that being tall certainly has its benefits in tennis.

The apparent advantages of being tall are extended reach and the sharper angles on serves that give them the edge. John Isner, Milos, Raonic, and Reilly Opelka might not have fared as well on the tour if they were six-foot tall. Historically speaking, no player shorter than six feet has won a Grand Slam tennis tournament in the past fifteen years.

The 2020 French Open has been different.

Whether it is due to top players being off-form due to the COVID-19 break, the fall weather conditions, or pure happenstance, this year’s French Open has seen its share of underdogs progressing into the later rounds.

Relatively unknown players such as Jannik Sinner, Hugo Gaston, Daniel Altmaier, Sebastian Korda,  Iga Swiatek, Nadia Podoroska, Martina Trevisan, and Leylah Annie Fernandez have all shown that they can compete at the highest level of tennis. What they lack in experience, they can make up with the right inspiration.

Who else to look up to than someone like Diego Schwartzman!

For my part, I will continue to root for my new hero…