New Delhi, Aug 15 (IANS) Roberto Bautista Agut, former tennis player and 2019 Wimbledon semifinalist, has scored twice on his football debut as he looks to make his mark in a new sport. The 38-year-old netted twice for Spanish seventh-tier side CD Els Ibarsos in his team’s 4-2 win.

The Spanish star announced his retirement from tennis a little over a month ago. He made a switch to football and signed a deal with CD Els Ibarsos. “It’s a new stage of life that’s making me very happy”, Bautista Agut said on Instagram. “May the good start continue!”

Bautista Agut has played youth football for Villarreal in the past before he chose tennis as a career. The Spaniard has won 12 singles titles, was a semifinalist at the SW19, a quarterfinalist at the Australian Open 2019 and achieved his top ATP ranking of No.9 in 2019. He also won the Davis Cup with Spain in 2019.

The Spaniard has defeated some big names in tennis, including Novak Djokovic, Daniil Medvedev, Alexander Zverev and Marin Cilic, among others. He particularly dominated 2021 US Open winner Medvedev, having had a 5-2 head-to-head record in his favour against the Russian.

He stepped away from tennis, feeling that his time had come to a close in the sport. “There comes a time when your body and mind say ‘enough’,” Bautista Agut told ATPTour.com. “You have to know how to listen to yourself and step away from the Tour when the time is right. I don’t think I’m physically in the same shape as I used to be either. Given the state my body is in, I can’t cope with four or five matches a week. It’s time,” he said.

Meanwhile, Bautista Agut, who stayed in the Top 100 ATP rankings for 16 years, revealed that compatriot and tennis icon Rafael Nadal has been his toughest opponent. “Perhaps Rafa at Roland Garros,” Bautista Agut said. “His spin, the power of his shots, they’d crash into your racquet. If you didn’t hit it properly, you’d slice it because it came with so much spin. His power, his intensity, they were all special in their own way. With Novak, it was his backhand that surprised me, how he covered the court and filled the gaps. With Roger, it was the speed, the anticipation, and his variety.”

He was signed by Els Ibarsos, the club which is based about 60 miles north of Valencia, as it hoped that the former tennis star would be available for the whole season. “It’s official: Roberto Bautista Agut is a C.D. Els Ibarsos player,” the club wrote on Instagram. “Thanks to everyone who came out to support us and create a great atmosphere on an unforgettable evening. And thank you, Roberto, for putting your trust in this project and this town.”

–IANS

vm/bsk/