Former tennis player Bautista Agut nets twice on football debut

Just over a month after retiring from professional tennis, Roberto Bautista Agut has swapped the court for the pitch, making his debut for Spanish seventh-tier side CD Els Ibarsos. The 38-year-old, a former Wimbledon semi-finalist, scored twice as his new team won a pre-season match 4-2.

During his tennis career, Bautista Agut claimed 12 singles titles and helped Spain win the Davis Cup in 2019. He reached a career-high world ranking of ninth in late 2019, a result boosted by his run to the Wimbledon semi-finals earlier that year.

A new chapter

Writing on Instagram, Bautista Agut described the move as a new and happy stage of life, adding hope that his strong start would continue.

Football is not entirely new territory for him — he played in Villarreal's youth academy until the age of 14 before choosing to focus on tennis instead.

CD Els Ibarsos, based around 60 miles north of Valencia, said Bautista Agut was introduced to supporters ahead of his debut and that the club is looking forward to having him for a full season. In its own Instagram post, the club thanked fans for creating a memorable atmosphere and thanked Bautista Agut for choosing to join the project and the town.