Is Roman Andres Burruchaga the son of football legend Jorge Burruchaga? Know his unexpected tennis journey
Diego Maradona was one of the most respected figures in football history. Although he immortalized his name because of his exploits in the 1986 World Cup, he had Jorge Burruchaga to thank for it. Maradona led his country to the final and Burruchaga scored the winning goal, helping Argentina win the trophy. 38 years later, Jorge’s son, Roman Andrés Burruchaga, is carrying on his legacy, albeit in a different sport.
Roman comes from a family of talented athletes. His father etched his name in football history and his elder brother, Mauro Burruchaga, followed in his footsteps. Mauro plays as a midfielder for Chievo in Italy. Buruchaga, the youngest, also likes football, although he has no interest in tennis.
Roman continues to climb the ranks. Last year, he broke into the top 200 players in the world by making the finals of a Challenger tournament. The 22-year-old Argentine made his ATP debut at the Cordoba Open this week. He enjoyed local support and made his compatriot Diego Schwartzman proud by defeating him.
A night he’ll never forget
🇦🇷 Roman Andres Burruchaga beats Schwartzman 6-1, 4-6, 6-4 in his ATP Tour debut!#cordobaopen pic.twitter.com/Csfglzvmxy
– Tennis TV (@TennisTV) 7 February 2024
Roman has already impressed in his first ATP event. He took the name of Maradona and gave him a crushing defeat. The win was all the more special as he played in the shadow of the Estadio Maro Kempes, where his father lit up the football stadium with his exploits for the Argentina national team.
The rising star still has a long way to go, but it’s a start for Buruchaga. As his ascent continues, the question arises: How did George’s son pick up a tennis racket?
Roman Andres Burruchaga opens up about his love for tennis
Buruchaga grew up playing football with his brother, but made his mark in tennis. Roman confessed that his father supported him, even when he chose to play a different sport.
“I like playing tennis. I used to play football, but my father told me I should choose what I wanted – he also liked tennis,” Buruchaga said (via The Sun).
Despite being a football legend, Roman’s father also likes to play tennis. George traveled to England to watch his son play at the Wimbledon Juniors in 2019. Román Andrés Burrúchaga was in the presence of such prestigious company as Carlos Alcaraz and Holger Rune.
That year Buruchaga lost to eventual champion Shintaro Mochizuki. However, George could not be more proud of his youngest son. The football legend also loved tennis and confessed that his French teacher got him into it and he learned to play.
George has always supported Roman
Roman demonstrated strong courage against Schwartzman. When the match reached the deciding set, he handled the pressure well. It helps that he learned from the best – his father.
Young Buruchaga had previously spoken about how his father being a professional player has helped. George is well aware of the problems that come with being an athlete.
Roman has taken information from his page about how to deal with the pressure and problems of playing the game. “He has given me a lot of advice. He also understands the problems – the emotions, the good moments, the bad moments,” He said.
Roman Andres Burruchaga still has a long way to go as he is still in the early days of the tour. Although his run may have ended at the Cordoba Open, he has won a lot of hearts.
