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via Reuters

via Reuters

Rising Argentinian tennis star Diego Schwartzman has a ‘close friend’ outside the game.

An avid soccer fan, Schwartzman said that no matter where he is playing, he can always count on his good mate Paulo Dybala rooting for him.

Diego Schwartzman did charity with Paulo Dybala

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The Argentinian soccer sensation, who also plays for Italian club Juventus, joined hands with Schwartzman recently for charity.

The pair put together a charity celebrity FIFA 2020 tournament back home this year. The event raised almost $300,000 for the Argentinian Red Cross.

Speaking on his friendship with Dybala, Schwartzman said, “We became friends a few years ago when I was in Rome for the Italian Open.

“He (Dybala) was playing in the final of the Italian Cup at the Olympic Stadium, next to the Foro Italico (which hosts the tennis event),” Schwartzman said.

via Reuters

“He got me tickets for the match. I’ve stayed at his home and this year we did charity together,” Schwartzman said.

“It was our idea to raise money for the people in Argentina who had problems because of Covid,”  the Agrentinian said.

Diego Schwartzman is also friends with Diego Maradona

Named after ‘El Diego’, as Argentina loves to call its soccer god Diego Maradona, Schwartzman said he keeps catching up with the great man on social media.

“I’ve met him quite a lot, in the Davis Cup, at the World Cup in Russia,” Schwartzman said.

“We talk a lot over social media. He is not in his best moment, trying to be healthy again,” the Argentinian said.

The soccer great was recently discharged from a clinic in La Plata, Argentina, after recovering from a brain surgery.

Schwartzman has made no secret of his love for soccer and once had a dream to represent Boca Juniors like his idol Maradona.

Diego Schwartzman eyeing title-run in maiden ATP Tour Finals

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A self-confessed tennis lover, Maradona, when fit, does travel to tennis events to see his compatriots in action.

Read More: Diego Schwartzman Reveals His Goals at the 2020 ATP Finals

Despite his quarter-final exit at the Paris Masters, Schwartzman qualified for the ATP Tour Finals this year. This year will mark his maiden run against the Top-8 at London’s O2 Arena and he is keen to make the most of it.

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Schwartzman’s run at the Masters was ended in straight sets by eventual champion Daniil Medvedev.