On Monday, April 25, the Professional Tennis Players Association proudly welcomed Argentine veteran Diego Schwartzman and American standout Taylor Townsend to the PTPA Executive Committee, its player-led leadership body.
Schwartzman and Townsend join last year’s returning Executive Committee members as they work to represent, protect, and empower professional men’s and women’s players worldwide.
Read on to learn more about the newest Executive Committee members and why they’re a great fit to help lead the PTPA forward.
Meet Diego Schwartzman
Diego Schwartzman, born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, has won four ATP singles tournaments since making his professional debut in 2010. His titles include the 2016 Istanbul Open, 2018 Rio Open, 2019 Los Cabos Open, and 2021 Argentina Open. Schwartzman has also competed in the Laver Cup three times, representing Team World.
Schwartzman’s most successful tour season to date occurred in 2020 when he reached the French Open semifinals and appeared in his first Masters 1000 final at the Italia Open, defeating defending champion Rafael Nadal along the way. In the same year, the Argentine achieved a career-high ATP singles ranking of world No. 8, represented Argentina in the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics, and qualified for the year-end ATP Finals tournament. He won the 2020 Golden Olimpia Award, given to Argentina’s top sportsperson of the year by the Association of Sports Journalists.
Nicknamed “El Peque,” which is Spanish for “the short one,” the 5’7″ Schwartzman became the shortest Grand Slam quarterfinalist since 1994 when competing in the 2017 U.S. Open. Throughout. his career, Schwartzman has been known for his heart, fighting spirit and ferocity on the court.
The descendant of a Polish Holocaust survivor, Schwartzman grew up playing tennis at Club Náutico Hacoaj, a Jewish community center in Buenos Aires. In 2021, the club opened its new tennis complex and named its center court “Diego ‘Peque’ Schwartzman” in his honor.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Diego combined his love for video games with his passion for giving back to the community. Along with fellow Argentinian and soccer superstar Paulo Dybala, Diego organized a virtual celebrity video game tournament to raise funds for Red Cross Argentina. Now, as a member of the PTPA Executive Committee, Schwartzman aims to continue using his voice and platform for good, “representing and amplifying [players’] unique experiences, opinions, ideas and needs” through his new role.
Meet Taylor Townsend
American Taylor Townsend is a double threat on the WTA Tour and is currently ranked world No. 58 in women’s singles and world No. 11 in women’s doubles. Born in Chicago, Townsend’s best Grand Slam results have occurred at her home Slam, the U.S. Open, where she reached the fourth round in the 2019 singles competition and where she was a doubles finalist in 2022.
Townsend has won five career doubles titles, including the 2020 ASB Classic and 2023 Western & Southern Open. The American achieved a remarkable feat at the Adelaide International, securing the title three times consecutively between 2023 and 2024, each time with a different partner.
Along with her athletic prowess, Townsend’s motherhood journey has inspired fans. She welcomed her first child in 2021 and after returning to competition soared to a career-high doubles ranking of world No. 5 in 2023.
Away from the court, Townsend has used her platform to serve as an outspoken advocate for her personal causes of importance, including gender and racial equity, motherhood, mental health, and more. Townsend has remained supportive of the PTPA since its inception, and noted the importance of players having a “unified voice and seat at the table as our sport faces both opportunities and challenges.”