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World No. 25 Diego Schwartzman signed off from the 2022 season after his first-round exit at the Paris Masters. The Argentine is currently in the off-season as he hopes to get some much-needed rest ahead of an upcoming busy year of tennis.
Schwartzman seemed to be relishing his vacation time as he was spotted in Qatar attending a FIFA World Cup match. He was among the spectators for Argentina's match against Saudi Arabia. The 30-year-old was seen donning the famous white and blue striped jersey as he cheered for his home nation.
However, the Argentine team led by Lionel Messi suffered a shocking 1-2 loss against the Green Falcons when the two sides met on Tuesday at the Lusail Stadium. Their hopes of qualifying for the Round of 16 have now been slightly dampened. With two matches yet to be played in the group stage, Schwartzman lent his home team much-needed motivation and support.
"How will we not trust? We will be there Saturday and also Wednesday. And when he touches, where he touches. Come on, lads! All together," the Argentine captioned his Instagram post.
Apart from Schwartzman, female tennis player Victoria Azarenka was also present in the crowd to witness the spectacle. The Belarusian is a huge fan of Lionel Messi and was seen cheering for her idol in the stadium. Both players were left disappointed with the results on Tuesday but shared their hopes for the nation's comeback in the tournament.
Diego Schwartzman 2022 season round-up
Diego Schwartzman started the 2022 season on a convincing note as he outclassed World No. 4 Stefanos Tsitsipas in the ATP Cup. Despite decent performances in the cup tournament, the Argentine suffered a shocking defeat to then No. 175 Christopher O'Connell in the second round of the Australian Open.
The Golden Swing saw the 30-year-old reach the finals of two tournaments. He could not clinch the title in either of the championship matches as he went down fighting heavyweights Casper Ruud and Carlos Alcaraz in the Argentina Open and Rio Open, respectively. A determined performance from Schwartzman at the 2022 Monte Carlo Masters saw him reach the quarterfinals but could not proceed further as he went down fighting against Tsitsipas.
The Argentine showed his prowess in doubles as he paired with John Isner to reach the 2022 Italian Open final. He was denied the title again as the pair bowed down to Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic.
Diego Schwartzman, among all the Grand Slams, put his best on display at the French Open. He reached the fourth round but was defeated by No. 1 seed Novak Djokovic. The season wrapped up for Schwartzman after the Paris Masters first-round exit, where he lost to Maxime Cressy in straight sets.
