Cachin bids farewell, reflecting how €60,000 risk met reward in 'incredible journey'

Retirements

Cachin bids farewell, reflecting how €60,000 risk met reward in 'incredible journey'

Argentine reflects on 12-year career

Corinne Dubreuil/ATP Tour

Pedro Cachin reached a career-high No. 48 in the PIF ATP Rankings in 2023. By Juan Diego Ramirez Carvajal

Hanging up the racquet is never easy for a tennis player. It is even more difficult when many sacrifices have been made along the way, as is the case for Argentina’s Pedro Cachin, who said farewell to tennis in an Instagram post Monday.

“It was an incredible journey with a lot of lessons along the way,” wrote Cachin, who reached a career-high No. 48 in the PIF ATP Rankings in 2023, the same year he was crowned champion at the ATP 250 in Gstaad.

One of Cachin’s biggest lessons was to never give up. His retirement could have come four years ago. Yet to break the Top 100, Cachin then held a 3-2 tour-level record with his best result as a pro being an ATP Challenger Tour title in Seville in 2015.

“The circuit slapped me around the face and told me, ‘No, no, to be a tennis player, you have to win more than just one title,” Cachin told ATPTour.com.

Rather than giving into the temptation of early retirement in 2021, Cachin applied for a loan that would extend his career.

“I applied for a loan of €60,000 when I was World No. 360. I risked it all because I still had faith in myself. I set myself a goal of playing in qualies in Australia the following year. And I did it. 2022 is when things clicked into place,” said Cachin.

Pedro Cachin wins the ATP 250 in Gstaad in 2023. Credit: Getty Images

But life did not get any easier. The next obstacle was a physical setback.

“From September 2021 to April 2023, I was playing with an injury. I would take a pill every single day to kill the chronic pain in my ankle because I have an extra bone there,” Cachin said. “In fact, in 2022 I barely practised on the recommendation of doctors. I only played when I was competing. I overcame things like that with the innate competitiveness we tennis players have.”

Despite those limitations, Cachin finally broke into the Top 100 in 2022 and won his sixth and final ATP Challenger Tour title in Santo Domingo. The following season he climbed into the Top 50 following his triumph in Gstaad. He also claimed his biggest career win in 2023 when he took down then-World No. 11 Frances Tiafoe in Madrid en route to the Round of 16, Cachin’s career-best finish at a Masters 1000 event.

However, things were not the same in 2024. He found some motivation when he faced Rafael Nadal during the Spaniard’s final appearance in the Caja Magica. Cachin asked Nadal for his shirt when they shook hands at the net. “He’s my idol. Having the chance to face him was a gift I’ll always carry with me,” Cachin said.

The Argentine reflects on that 2024 season and remembers feeling that his desire was waning. “I lost that internal fire, because the defeats didn’t hurt so much and the wins didn’t taste as good,” explained the 30-year-old, who played his final match in June at a Challenger event in Lyon.

Cachin’s legacy lies in the warmth and respect he showed to everyone around him, qualities which his peers praised while wishing him well in his retirement post.

“You were brave, you bet big without being sure of the rewards, and now you know... People love you and respect you — me more than anyone. That’s much more important than any title. Always on my team, or rather, always in my family,” said Alex Corretja, the Argentine’s former coach.

Juan Martin del Potro wrote: “Congratulations Pedrito! I hope you really enjoy this new phase of your life. Thanks for being with us for such special moments.”

Tomas Martin Etcheverry said: “Amazing, my brother. I wish you all the best. Above everything else, you are one of the best people I have ever met. You deserve everything.”

Cachin’s new phase of life is already underway. He is helping young players find their place in professional tennis. What else does he plan on for the near future? “To relax here at home in Barcelona, and travel for about 20 weeks of the year as a coach.”

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