How Paolo Maldini performed in his one professional tennis match after retiring from football

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Paolo Maldini has gone down as one of the greatest footballers of all time, having shone for AC Milan and Italy.

Maldini is a legend for his former club and country, boasting over 600 and 100 caps for Milan and Italy respectively.

Since retiring, Maldini has taken up background roles in football, but the legendary figure also tried his hand at tennis.

It was, however, a short-lived journey for Maldini, who won the European Cup five times while playing for Milan.

Paolo Maldini lost his one professional tennis match after retiring from football

Following that hugely successful career on the pitch, the Italian took to the tennis court at the 2017 Aspria Tennis Cup.

Part of the Challenger Tour, the event in Milan welcomed 49-year-old Maldini and his doubles partner Stefano Landonio as wildcards.

But alongside Landonio, who acted as his coach, Maldini suffered a 6-1, 6-1 defeat to Tomasz Bednarek and David Pel.

As quoted by Four Four Two, he said of the match: “It was like writing a poem after studying years of maths.

“We tried to enjoy the moment, because I didn’t expect I’d be able to experience something like this at the age of 49. Ironically, on the very first point of the match I pulled a muscle.

“It was a unique and unrepeatable experience, I have lived it as a game and there will be no other experience like this.

“We could have played better on a few points, but no problem. It could have ended 6-0, 6-3, [but] we lost 6-1 6-1 and that’s fine.”

Diego Forlan joined Paolo Maldini in tennis switch after football

Maldini certainly hasn’t been the only former professional footballer to delve into the world of tennis after retiring.

In 2024, his fellow legend Diego Forlan received a wildcard for the 2024 Uruguay Open, an ATP Challenger event.

The former Manchester United and Villarreal star was 45 years old when he made his professional debut in front of his home crowd.

But it didn’t quite go to plan, with Forlan losing 6-1, 6-2 in a doubles match with his fellow Argentine Federico Coria.

Going the other way, tennis legend Rafael Nadal once showcased his football skills, scoring six goals in a 2008 charity match that involved fellow Spanish icons Iker Casillas and Sergio Ramos.

READ MORE: The offer David Beckham sent to Rafael Nadal after he retired from tennis in 2024