Pensions
Cuevas, from worldwide kayaking to realizing his goals: ‘I’m nonetheless enthusiastic about tennis’
The 38-year-old is saying goodbye to life on the Tour, however will not be leaving tennis behind
September 26, 2024
ATP Tour/Getty Photographs
Pablo Cuevas, 38, has introduced his retirement from skilled tennis.
By ATP employees
Pablo Cuevas, who introduced his retirement earlier this week, may actually write a storybook after a profession that spanned greater than 20 years. What all began with the straightforward enjoyable and play of a kid ultimately led to him changing into one of the best tennis participant within the historical past of Uruguay, the place he now plans to provide again in order that others can comply with in his footsteps.
As a baby, solely ten years outdated, he crossed one of many largest rivers in South America alone in a kayak: he paddled 4 kilometers and 35 minutes, from one nation to a different, simply to play tennis on daily basis. He was pushed by a dream.
Cuevas would go away his faculty in Concordia, Argentina, however his tennis group, as he reasoned earlier than his each day worldwide journey, was on the opposite facet of the river, in Salto, Uruguay. Because the son of an Argentinian father and a Uruguayan mom, there was no motive to cease younger Cuevas from working towards and having enjoyable. His angle actually paid off in the long term.
“Tennis ready me, it allowed me to journey the world and uncover myself,” the Uruguayan advised ATPTour.com the day after asserting his retirement. “That was the purpose I began with once I wished to play tennis, as a result of I loved doing it and I had numerous enjoyable with it alongside the best way.”
Cuevas peaked at No. 19 within the PIF ATP Rankings in 2016, successful six ATP Tour titles and claiming 242 tour-level victories on the circuit, together with three towards members of the High 5.
“After I was a boy, I did not know what it meant to be a tennis participant, and I did not have a rating in thoughts that I wished to attain, I simply wished it to be my job,” Cuevas mentioned. “Then it turned rather more: High 100, High 50, successful tournaments, but it surely was all the time about rather more than simply the numbers.”
What’s your fondest reminiscence?
“There is no such thing as a second or particular event that stands out for me above the remaining,” Cuevas mentioned. “I’d say it was extra all these years, the teachings that tennis gave me to use it each on and off the courtroom.”
As his ambitions started to take form, Cuevas moved to Buenos Aires the place he would take his first steps within the sport, first in ITF World Tennis Tour occasions, then in ATP Challenger Tour occasions, earlier than lastly making his ATP Tour debut made in 2007.
The Uruguayan made his foremost draw debut later that yr when he reached qualifying on the US Open, dropping to Andy Murray within the first spherical of the principle draw. A yr later, he claimed the doubles title at Roland Garros alongside Peruvian Luis Horna (within the quarterfinals they defeated American brothers Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan, the No. 1 workforce on this planet on the time).
Nevertheless, when every thing appeared to be going so properly, a proper knee damage held him again in 2011. Cuevas must endure crutches, the psychological challenges of coping with such an damage and the idea that he had misplaced every thing. He even thought of switching sports activities and making an attempt to develop into an expert golfer.
However Cuevas persevered, recovered and after greater than two years on the sidelines, he got here again and achieved a few of the greatest outcomes of his profession.
“There was just a little little bit of every thing, I used to be additionally constructing a household on the identical time. It’s a sport that takes its toll, you lose much more than you win, however taking part, choosing your self up and turning the web page is exclusive,” he mentioned proudly. His spouse Clara and his daughters Alfonsina and Antonia will now have the ability to spend extra time with him at house.
Cuevas says he is reminded by followers of a few of his greatest pictures, which go viral virtually on daily basis. His compilation video of sizzling pictures would rival another participant. The six-time ATP Tour title winner defined that it was all improvised and pure.
“It occurred with out even making an attempt. I by no means practiced them and I by no means waited for a second to have the ability to make these sorts of pictures, all of it occurred spontaneously,” Cuevas mentioned. “I by no means thought I’d play magic factors and I do know folks prefer it, however I take pleasure in watching it.”
Cuevas, in the meantime, is satisfied that he’ll keep his reference to tennis. He is already began the ball rolling.
“With Facu (Savio, his former coach and pal) we work with many kids aged eight, ten, twelve, 13 to sixteen… and we wish to create one thing nice and aggressive. convey my expertise and in Uruguay I believe this was one thing that was wanted,” he defined. “I proceed to take pleasure in tennis, I am fond of it and it’ll all the time be part of me.”