Diego Schwartzman is set to return to the tennis world to oversee a team in the new professional tennis league, INTENNSE.
Schwartzman retired from tennis in 2025, but the Argentine has continued to involve himself in tennis since hanging up his racket.
Speaking exclusively to Tennishead, about the Argentine’s new role with INTENNSE, Schwartzman discussed the current state of the ATP Tour.
Schwartzman opened up about Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner’s chances of winning over 20 Grand Slams.
Diego Schwartzman believes Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner’s rivalry could hamper them
In an exclusive interview with Tennishead, Schwartzman was full of praise for the best two ranked players in the world currently.
“I mean, these guys, Alcaraz and Sinner have a different level of tennis, so I think if they have a good day, nobody can beat them so far,” said the former world number eight.
Schwartzman revealed his experiences of playing Sinner and Alcaraz, both of whom he never managed to taste a victory against.
“I played one time against Alcaraz. The Rio Open (2022) final, and I lost the final against him, and it was a huge match for him because it was his first big title. But he beat me easily. It was 6-4, 6-2, easy match.
“His power was on a different level than my power at that moment. And then I played a few times against Sinner.
“And it was the same feeling, I was trying, at the end of my career, but the power of these two guys is a different thing. So it was very difficult for me.”
Despite their dominance on the ATP Tour, Schwartzman cast doubt on the pair catching up with the likes of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic when it comes to Grand Slams.
“So do I think they can win 20 grand slams? I don’t know. Let’s see in the future. I don’t know if they can win 20 grand slams.
“It’s going to be tough,” he added. “I think they’re going to split too many different slams in the next few years.”
Alcaraz currently holds seven Grand Slams, while Sinner has won four Grand Slams, so both still have a long way to go before they hit 20.
Schwartzman, meanwhile, will begin his first season with INTENNSE from 1 June through to Championship Weekend on 30 July to 2 August.
What Diego Schwartzman wants to achieve with INTENNSE
Schwartzman has been given the opportunity to draft his own team with INTENNSE and he will be competing against fellow former professional tennis stars, including Bob and Mike Bryan.
INTENNSE tennis rules
- Matches consist of three 10-minute segments
- Players are only allowed one toss and one serve
- There is just 14 seconds allowed between points.
- Numerical scoring replaces tennis’ traditional scoring system. Two points can be earned for clean winners and aces
- There are no lets – if the ball touches the net during a serve it is still live
- Players can be substituted for another player in their team at any time
- Each team has two 60-second timeouts per match.
- Tie-Breaker: If tied at the final buzzer, a deciding point determines the winner.
Speaking about his new role, the Argentine said: “Partnering with INTENNSE gives me the opportunity to begin an exciting new chapter.
INTENNSE boasts some game-changing new rules in comparison to traditional tennis, which is exciting to the former top ten player.
“At the same time, tennis needs to become more welcoming, modern, and exciting for younger generations, with dynamic formats and creative storytelling that live alongside traditional tennis, not replacing it.”
To find out more information about INTENNSE head to their official website here.