The ineffable Ricardo Iorio He shouted these words in “Vencer el tiempo” from the album “Toro y Pampa” by Strong soul, a song that became a war cry for his feelings, just as he accustomed his audience to. Almost 18 years later, these verses can be placed in the present of Facundo Díaz Acostathat promise of tennis national team afflicted by the Covid pandemic and who now, with the best ranking of her career, can celebrate a successful path.
The first day of the main draw of the Argentina Open started badly; The storm sowed doubts and then the wind raised fears of an even worse day. When the opening of the contest seemed to fall into an endless delay, the 22-year-old from Buenos Aires received the call to debut in Palermo. “Mentally I was prepared to play later. “I left with the last bite.”he launched at a conference, to everyone’s laughter.
Almost four years ago, while the coronavirus frightened the planet and societies lived in lockdown, Díaz Acosta made headlines for training at his home in Vicente López with a mattress as a companion. Those were times when only athletes with Olympic potential could get a special permit.
“Obviously I won’t forget because it was something that cost a lot, and especially the return trip was quite tedious. Looking back, they are things that remain as learning. “I get a lot of things out of that confinement”analyzes today the current 87th in the ranking with Ambit after his successful debut at the Argentina Open: he went 6-3 and 7-6 (1) over the German Daniel Altmaier.
Clouds cover the mythical Buenos Aires Lawn Tennis Club. The sky mutates between a white cover and an almost black barrage. Here the storm remains stoic, but in the life of Díaz Acosta, Pan American champion in 2023 shortly after his entry into the Top 100, the climate is different. Now it’s time to talk about strengths.
“I learned a lot of things. The defeat hurt me a lot. “She was losing and didn’t want to leave the room even to eat.”, lance. The collateral damage of isolation translated into extra difficulty in returning fully, “I was one of those who took the longest to take off.” “It was hard for me, I started playing and traveling again and I missed it a lot. I didn’t enjoy everyday life as much. I was feeling bad and I wanted to kill myself.”he remembers with his gaze fixed on whoever listens to him.
The career of the boy who was reflected in Nadal went through all the seasons. From 2017 to the present he competed in juniors, he was a double medalist at the Buenos Aires 2018 Youth Games, he was champion of Futures and Challengers tournaments, he got into the Top 100, he won the Pan American gold (which meant half an Olympic place) and He played his first ATP and Grand Slam tournaments. Gradual and constant progress.
What at some point was “very suffered” as a result of the “pressure in each game”, little by little transformed into enjoyment. “It took me a long time, but I learned to enjoy being outside a little more, traveling, and also extra tennis. I understood that I was doing what I liked”he argues.
Today a defeat “is one more.” The coexistence between the tennis player and the loss of a match is natural, everyday. “I managed to make it not weigh me down so much, and that way I also go out and play lighter”he confesses, so now “I play calmer, I can give everything and at night I can look in the mirror and know that I did everything I could”.
Some of the lessons have a geographical origin: Argentina’s own location in the world makes transportation and calendar facilities difficult. The economy is the worst of the ingredients. “The Europeans lose and go back to dinner with their intimates. We have to enforce the ticket. “That makes us stronger,” he acknowledges.
“If I have to say what has changed in this time, I would say consistency. Before I had sparks, good weeks, and then I went down a lot. I began to manage the breaks a little, which week to play, which week to stop, train and be well prepared for each tournament.”reveals the pupil of Mariano Monachesi and Mariano Hood, heads of the Liceo Naval academy.
Tennis, like any other part of life, is about getting the wheel moving; Then, stopping it is more difficult: “I began to be more prepared for tournaments, physically and mentally. I didn’t have so many bad weeks, and from then on it added to my confidence.”
Night falls at the Palermo club, the historic home of the Buenos Aires landmark of the ATP Tour. It’s cold, it doesn’t feel like summer. Díaz Acosta already has his mind set on Francisco Cerúndolo, an old – or not so old – acquaintance with whom they will face each other in the second round of the Argentina Open. A good test to once again show that his heart is alive.
Source: Ambito
I am Pierce Boyd, a driven and ambitious professional working in the news industry. I have been writing for 24 Hours Worlds for over five years, specializing in sports section coverage. During my tenure at the publication, I have built an impressive portfolio of articles that has earned me a reputation as an experienced journalist and content creator.
