From coach at a club to winning a Challenger at 27 years old, Federico Gomez has shown resilience and determination

In tennis, as in life, impossible things can happen, both for better and for worse. It is a sport that often ends the careers of many players who dream of becoming professionals, but sometimes it offers a second chance. This was the case for Federico Agustín Gómez who, after earning his first ATP point, traveled to Europe but did not have opportunities. However, sometimes there is an unexpected turn of events, and tennis, or life, gives you another option. This also happened to the Argentine player who, after two years without picking up a racket, returned to the circuit and won the Challenger in Milan at the age of 27, and two weeks later, in Trieste. ATP.com featured his story.

Not even Federico himself expected this change in his life, returning to hold a racket and compete. This was even more unexpected as he had a comfortable life in Miami, training at a club after graduating in Business and Sports Administration from the University of Louisville. It was then that his friend, Pedro Caniza, opened his eyes again: "He saw me play and said, 'Hey, what are you doing? You can teach later! You don't have to give lessons now. Why don't you give yourself another chance?' He was a big part of the reason I'm here today," confesses the Argentine.

- From his first ATP point to his bad experience in Europe

Several reasons led Federico to set aside his racket for a while. One of these reasons was after earning his first ATP point at 17: "I thought I had it all. I thought I was on top of the world, that I could do whatever I wanted. But it wasn't like that. I decided to go to Europe to try to make a living. Things didn't go as planned. There were some issues in Europe with visas and such, they didn't give me the chance to stay there," says the tennis player.

After the European experience, he returned to Argentina, talked to his parents, and told them he wanted to study and earn his degree in the United States while balancing it with tennis. However, when he was finishing his studies, university internships from 8 am to 5 pm took away the little time he had to practice.

Given his situation, Federico realized he couldn't train enough hours for his tennis career, and combined with the halt due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he decided to put his dream of being a professional player on hold and become a coach: "I said to myself, 'Okay, what do I do? The circuit isn't going anywhere, everything is on hold, so I'll just stop here and start giving lessons,'" states the Argentine.

- Completely forgot about professionalism

In this new life, the Buenos Aires native only picked up a racket to train people and teach; he had completely distanced himself from professional tennis: "I just taught and tried to make a living by coaching. I tried to stay healthy by exercising. But I wasn't playing tennis at all. I don't think I hit a two-handed backhand in two years. I only exercised in the morning or afternoon. I really didn't have time and also was a bit disconnected from everything related to the circuit," confirms Federico.

"Things were going well; I worked, was happy. I had a place to stay. I had a car. Everything was fine. But I was missing something more," says Federico, who, thanks to the advice of his friend Pedro and his feeling that something was lacking in his life, decided to return to playing tennis.

The same friend financially supported his comeback, and in June, at the Challenger in Milan, he proved that it's worth trying until the end to pursue your dreams: "I didn't expect to win," confessed Federico after advancing through the qualificatn round and claiming the trophy. His streak continued as he recently won his second Challenger in Italy, specifically in Trieste. Being the oldest player (27) to win a Challenger this year, he adds another trophy to his collection and climbs to world No. 160 in the ATP ranking.

Who would have thought, while training at a tennis club in Miami with a decent and comfortable life. But Federico had a lingering desire and has fulfilled it in a remarkable way.

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Federico Gómez, de entrenador en un club a ganar un Challenger con 27 años