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Original article was published on The Jerusalem Post

Diego Schwartzman played his last Grand Slam match at the 2024 US Open, receiving a heartfelt send-off from fans as he prepares to retire in 2025.

It was a long and emotional Monday on and off the court for beloved Argentinian Jewish tennis player Diego Schwartzman at the US Open.

First, Schwartzman battled Gael Monfils of France for 2 hours and 42 minutes in a late afternoon opening-round match on the packed Grandstand court. Schwartzman took the 62-minute first set 7-6(2) in a tiebreaker, before losing the next three sets by large margins – 6-2, 6-2, 6-1.

With his loss to Monfils, it was game, set, and match for Schwartzman’s career playing in prestigious Grand Slam tournaments.

In May 2024, Schwartzman, 32, announced that he will retire from professional tennis after the February 2025 Argentina Open – and that the 2024 US Open, taking place in New York from August 26 to September 8, will be his final Grand Slam event.

As Schwartzman hugged Monfils, 38, he put his rackets down before being invited back to the court. The crowd cheered and shouted, “We love you, Diego” as they watched a video highlighting Schwartzman’s US Open career, followed by an on-court interview and the presentation of a collage featuring his US Open appearances.

Tennis – Australian Open – Diego Schwartzman of Argentina v Dusan Lajovic of Serbia – Melbourne, Australia, January 15, 2018. Schwartzman hits a shot. (credit: REUTERS/THOMAS PETER)

Schwartzman fought back tears as he addressed the crowd.

Emotional farewell speech
“I’m sorry,” he said, crying as the crowd cheered. “Special moments like you see before on the screens at the US Opens where I played here 11 times – I did great, the crowds today and the years before, they took care of me. I am really grateful for all of these years, to all the people here and watching on TV, and to [USTA Chief Executive, Professional Tennis & US Open Tournament Director] Stacey [Allaster] – you are great. Thank you very much. I never dreamed of these kinds of moments, but I am happy to have them. I will enjoy every single moment from now on.”

In Monfils’s post-match on-court interview, he reflected on Schwartzman and his career.

“He is an amazing player. He played unbelievably; he is a good friend and a nice guy. He represents the spirit of the ATP and we are going to miss him a lot.”

Monfils also liked the match.

“I knew he would play hard, and he was very solid.”

The players held serve throughout the first set, with each player having one service break. The ninth game of the set featured a 21-shot rally.

In the second set, Monfils began changing pace and Schwartzman started committing errors, with some shots barely missing the lines. Schwartzman appeared tired and was unable to mount a comeback.

“I played well,” reports Monfils. “I felt good, I knew it would be a long match. Eventually, I won.”

“In the end, I was struggling,” Schwartzman acknowledged.

Schwartzman offered his final post-match media conference – first in English, then in Spanish. Reflecting on his career and his time at the US Open, Schwartzman said, “Yeah, it was great. Many years – time passed very, very quickly. I’m very happy with how I did here and also how the crowd treated me all these years. I think this journey here at the US Open was great – every single moment was great, and I really enjoyed it.”

Schwartzman reflected on some of his fondest US Open memories, where he twice made it to the quarterfinals.

“I think the US Open 2017 was the first time that I felt like I was a great player, and I became top 30, I think in 2017 for the very first time after beating Cilic and Pouille, losing in the quarterfinals against Carreno Busta. I think the US Open gave me a lot of victories, good ones, and a lot of confidence in my career.”

While disappointed by the result of the match, Schwartzman could not have asked for a better way to end his US Open and Grand Slam career.

“It was an end that I always dreamed of, you know, on a big court against a big opponent like Gael – enjoying a few moments in the match.”

How is Schwartzman feeling at this moment, as he exits his final Grand Slam event and as his career winds down?

“Yeah, I think it’s crazy how the people treat me. I never dreamed of this kind of thing – playing in the US Open on a big court, first round for the very last time. You know, having all the crowd there, the tournament director, everyone there just giving me thank-yous for coming. I don’t know. It’s crazy for me. Since I was young, I never dreamed of this. I finished my career this way; it’s very special and very emotional.”

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The original article is published at jns.org

“Words can’t describe knowing you gave the kids the chance of a lifetime when they needed it most,” Roy Shaul-Morgan, international delegation director of Tzofim Tzabar Olami, told JNS.

“Are those trees real or painted?” one child asked. Another marveled at not one but three lakes on the premises.

The way Michael Schlank, CEO of NJY Camps, figures it, the Israeli boys who were summer camping stateside had never seen so much water or so many trees in one place before. It was an even starker contrast to what they had experienced since Oct. 7, which is why the nonprofit camping organization brought them overseas to temporarily get away from their reality back home.

“They lived on the periphery and are living in hotels, and have never been on a plane before,” Schlank told JNS.

Yaniv Biran, CEO of the North America Friends of Israel Scouts-Tzofim, told JNS that the kids could finally relax. “They could really turn off their tzeva adom,” or Red Alert app, he told JNS.

Friends of Tzofim in the United States and Canada is a youth movement for teens that involves activities, programs and travel that involve learning about and getting closer to Israel.

‘The trauma would last‘

When Schlank returned to his office on Oct. 9, he told his staff that the camping movement had to do something to help in the aftermath of the Hamas terrorist attacks at the Nova music festival and in Jewish communities in southern Israel on Oct. 7, which left 1,200 dead and thousands wounded, with 250 others kidnapped and dragged across the border into the Gaza Strip.

“When we understood the enormity, we started thinking of ways to bring kids to our camps from Israel,” he told JNS.

He and other Jewish leaders visited the Jewish state in November and saw that many Israelis wouldn’t be able to return to their homes any time soon, “and that the trauma would last longer than a month or two.” Schlank resolved to find ways to bring Israeli children who were impacted by the war to NJY camps in the United States.

NJY Camps, Tzofim, the Jewish Agency for Israel and others created Machane Am Echad (“Camp One Nation”), which brought 97 Israeli teenagers and 15 staff members to a NJY camp in Milford, Pa., from Aug. 14 to Aug. 25. (Organizers asked JNS not to cover the trip until it had concluded, citing possible security concerns.)

Twenty-five of the teens were upper-school students who came from Ofakim, Sderot and Ashkelon in the south and Kiryat Shmona up north; all have been directly impacted by the wartime situation on both fronts.

Organizers reported smiles and joy from the campers, who engaged in typical summer fare like swimming and making campfires. They also had the opportunity to visit places like Times Square in the heart of New York City to see the show “Hamilton” on Broadway, take in a Mets ball game further uptown and cool off at a waterpark.

Teens involved with Camp One Nation saw a Mets game this summer in New York City. Credit: Courtesy.

‘We feel we are seen‘

Many of the Israeli teens opened up about their experiences—some evidently for the first time. Most of the campers and the staff witnessed the Oct. 7 attacks, and some lost relatives, sustained injuries, and have relatives and friends still being held hostage in Gaza 11 months later.

For nearly all the teens and staff, the trip was their first outside of the Jewish state, according to Schlank.

Roy Shaul-Morgan, international delegation director of Tzofim Tzabar Olami, was with the group for the 12 days of the program and told JNS about a prom held for the campers. One of them, a 16-year-old from Sderot, said it was his first time dancing since Oct. 7, Shaul told JNS.

“It was such an emotional, meaningful feeling,” he said. “Words can’t describe knowing you gave the kids the chance of a lifetime when they needed it most.”

The teen said being at the camp in New York was “like a dream” and that it made him feel that he wasn’t alone. “We feel we are seen,” he told JNS.

“The most important thing I am taking away from this experience is the friendships I have made with the other campers,” he added.

A 17-year-old from Kiryat Shmona at the northern border with Lebanon told JNS that her family did not evacuate because they own a restaurant and are feeding Israeli soldiers operating in the area. She goes to school on a kibbutz just beyond the evacuation area.

“I am not worried, but a child should not have to live with alarms, gunshots and missiles. This is not how I want to experience my youth,” she told JNS. “But we are strong and will make it through.” (She, too, said going to New York was dreamlike.)

Israelis benefit from summertime activities like bonfires and bonding, and time away from war this summer at Camp One Nation. Credit: Courtesy.

Biran, of Tzofim, hopes that the participants will serve as informal “ambassadors” from the Diaspora.

“Not everyone knows that when Israel hurts, all of us hurt,” he told JNS. “They can be the bridge.”

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Original article was published on The Jerusalem Post

Glozman, the USTA Girls’ 18s national singles runner-up, received a wild card into the qualifying tournament.

Most of Valerie Glozman’s friends are gearing up to start their freshman years of college this fall. Instead of devoting the month before her September 17 Stanford University move-in date to shopping for clothes, bedding, and school supplies, the 17-year-old tennis player from Bellevue, Washington, is spending her third August in a row at the USTA Billie Jean King Tennis Center in Queens, New York, competing in the 128-person US Open Qualifying Tournament in an attempt to make the main draw as of the last eight standing.

Glozman, the USTA Girls’ 18s national singles runner-up, received a wild card into the qualifying tournament, along with such players as four-time Grand Slam singles champion Naomi Osaka, 2019 US Open champion Bianca Andreescu, and several fellow 17-and-under players, including Akasha Urhobo (17), Iva Jovic (16), Tyra Grant (16), Julieta Pareja (15), and 14-year-old Kristina Penickova, who reached the girls’ singles semifinals at the French Open.

Glozman faced the tournament’s 17th seed, Zhuoxuan Bai of China, in her first-round match. Glozman quickly took the first set 6-1 in 25 minutes. She broke Bai at 4-2 before going up 5-4. Glozman appeared on track to close out the match before Bai won the 64-minute set in a tiebreaker. Glozman closed out the third set 6-2 to advance to Wednesday’s second-round match versus Varvara Lepchenko of the USA, ranked 196th in the world.

Lepchenko, 38, is 21 years older than Glozman and played her first Grand Slam event in 1996, the year Glozman was born.

VALERIE GLOZMAN competes at the US Open Junior tournament. The 15-year-old American lost to the No. 1 seed, Sofia Costlulas of Belgium, 3-6, 6-2, 6-2. (credit: HOWARD BLAS)

Glozman and Russ Bucklin, who works alongside her Ukrainian-Jewish father, Igor Glozman, as part of her coaching team, met with The Jerusalem Post for a post-match interview in the media center garden. Bucklin, a club owner and coach who has had four students in the top 100 for juniors, worked with Valerie’s now 24-year-old sister, Vivian when she was a young tennis player. He playfully notes that he has known Glozman “since she was in the womb.” Bucklin describes Glozman as “just tough as hell” with the “highest tennis IQ” he has ever seen. He notes that she “almost never chooses the wrong shot – which is tough for anyone.”

Glozman was generally pleased with the match and offered insight into the match and her growth over the past three years here at the US Open.

“I feel like the pressure is building to do a little better each year. I just wanted to live in the moment a little more.”

Glozman living her dream

Glozman has also enjoyed the close proximity to and occasional interaction with her tennis heroes. She describes how exciting it is “being in the same area as all of the pros I’ve seen on TV,” but is “trying a little harder not to keep asking for photos!” She acknowledges taking a photo with Coco Gauff a few years ago.  Glozman empathizes with these players.

“I know how hard it is to be in the spotlight.” She enjoys “seeing they are normal people, like in real life.”

Glozman is looking forward to the tennis, academic, and social experiences.

“I am looking forward to having constant matches and built-in practices with a bunch of great players to hit with every day. I love team events, so I am looking forward to being surrounded by the team.”

Glozman is also “open to further exploration. I will look around and see what clubs they offer.”

On Wednesday, Glozman trailed Lepchenko 4-3 in the first set before coming back to win 6-4.  Lepchenko never trailed in the second set, winning 6-4. Their end-to-end battle on court 12 crossed the two-hour mark just as Lepchenko was closing out the match with a 6-3 victory in the third set.

While obviously disappointed with the outcome of the hard fought match, Glozman took comfort in the number of children and adults seeking autographs and requesting selfies and offering encouraging words about their hopes for her future. One day soon, Glozman will be the player with a lot more experience than an up and coming young player.

For now, Glozman is figuring out her plans and practice schedule as she awaits and prepares for the US Open Juniors Tournament, taking place September 1-7.

The daughter of a Taiwanese mother and a Ukrainian Jewish father, Glozman has always been curious about learning more about her family’s heritages.

While she has not yet visited Israel, Glozman smiles as she recounts how she receives information about Israel.

“Don’t you have to be 18?” the 17-year-old offered (likely talking about a Birthright program requirement).

 “It would be so much fun to go to Israel.” Anticipating a very busy next few years of tennis, Glozman quickly added, “after college.”

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Original article was published on The Jerusalem Post

Schwartzman saved enough energy in the hour and 39-minute match for an on-court interview with ESPN.

It is not every day that tennis fans can see a former top-ten player in action – for free. Jewish Argentinian and longtime fan-favorite Diego Schwartzman, formerly No. 8 in the world, faced off against Italian Andrea Pellegrino on the first day of this week’s 2024 US Open Tournament.

Schwartzman, 32, affectionately known as “El Peque” (the short one) due to his 5-foot-7 size, trailed Pellegrino 3-1 in the first set and came back to win the set 7-5. 

Schwartzman, now ranked No. 230, got off to a 3-0 lead in the second set, dropped the next three, then closed out the second set 6-3.

Schwartzman saved enough energy in the hour and 39-minute match for an on-court interview with ESPN, signing large green tennis balls, and taking selfies with cheering fans who hope he will land a spot in next week’s main draw.

The qualifying tournament is scheduled from Monday through Thursday at the USTA Billie Jean King Tennis Center in Queens, New York.

Tennis – Australian Open – Diego Schwartzman of Argentina v Dusan Lajovic of Serbia – Melbourne, Australia, January 15, 2018. Schwartzman hits a shot. (credit: REUTERS/THOMAS PETER)

All matches during the week, also known as Fan Week, are free. If Schwartzman can win three matches this week, he will secure one of the 16 coveted main-draw places. 

The US Open runs from August 26 to September 9.

This year’s US Open is particularly significant for Schwartzman, who announced in May 2024 that he plans to retire from tennis after the Argentina Open in February 2025.

“It is my last Grand Slam,” Schwartzman told The Jerusalem Post in the Media Center of the US Open following his match. “One more time trying to enjoy – but this time, it is different. Every time I miss, I want to do better.”

A performance to be proud of 

Schwartzman is proud of his performance in his first match.

“I think I did very well today. It was a good match.”

Schwartzman has experienced a great deal of success at the US Open over the years.

“My first time here was in 2013,” noted Schwartzman, who advanced to the third round of the qualifying tournament that year. “This is my second time playing qualies.”

Schwartzman has not missed a US Open since he made his main-draw debut in 2014. In both 2017 and 2019, Schwartzman reached the US Open quarterfinals. Last year, he lost to Arthur Rinderknech in the first round.

Schwartzman’s streak of 36 consecutive main-draw appearances came to an end last year when he did not play in the 2024 Australian Open. 

In addition, he has lost in the qualifiers at the previous three Grand Slam tournaments this season.

Schwartzman attributes much of his upcoming retirement to the toll tennis takes on a player physically and mentally.

“The routine, how much time per day, how much time I gave to tennis – I gave everything. There is no more inside. No more energy. The tank is empty. The last few years, I was trying hard – changing teams, coaches, trainers, you know, everything, trying to find a way to improve my tennis. But in the end, it was inside me. So far, I am pretty happy with the decision. Let’s see after a few months without the racket.”

While Schwartzman says he will “go slow” in making decisions about what comes next, one certainty is that he will get married. In June, he announced his engagement to longtime partner Eugenia De Martino. 

Schwartzman posted a picture of the two of them in front of the Eiffel Tower in Paris. She was wearing an engagement ring.

A satisfying career

Looking back on his career, Schwartzman is satisfied. “The career was great. I am very happy with how I did.”

He has won four ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals) titles to date, including the 2016 Istanbul Open, the 2018 Rio Open, the 2019 Los Cabos Open, and the 2021 Argentina Open. He also reached the 2020 French Open semifinals. Schwartzman has earned $14 million (USD).

Other memorable tennis-related accomplishments include the dedication of a tennis court at the HaCoaj club in Buenos Aires where he got his start in tennis. Center court at the club’s new tennis complex is named after Schwartzman.

“It is emotional. It is where I grew up. And they already made a lot of Challenger tournaments there. It is great to have my name when they are giving the trophy to the champion. You can go to the ATP App to see the scores and there is a Diego Schwartzman court! It is at the same time funny and it is a great honor.”

Another tennis-related milestone was visiting Israel for the first time to compete in the 2022 Tel Aviv Watergen Open. While tournament demands left little time for travel in Israel, Schwartzman shared in an earlier interview with the Post.

“I was surprised by Tel Aviv in a good way. I didn’t expect it to be so amazing. It is for sure one of my top-three best cities in the world.”

Schwartzman hopes to one day return to Israel. For now, he was turning his attention to his second-round match on Wednesday versus fellow Argentine, the qualifying tournament’s No. 1 seed, Thiago Agustin Tirante. 

The winner will be on course to potentially face fellow former top-10 player Richard Gasquet.

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