Juan Martin del Potro has had a very unfortunate career, in which injuries have prevented him from playing without pain and winning as much as he deserves. The Argentine was truly a great champion and he proved it in the period he was at the highest level, winning a Grand Slam title at the 2009 US Open and defeating the Big 3 several times.
A serious injury to both wrists had already put the rest of his career at risk, forcing him to undergo several surgeries and change a part of his game, especially on the backhand side, in which he had to work a lot on his slice/back.
Delpo trained very hard and managed to return to the highest level, even winning the Indian Wells Masters 1000 in 2018 after a splendid final against Roger Federer (in which he erased two match points from the Swiss legend).
Juan Martin del Potro© Stream screenshot
Just when it seemed like his career might be taking on a new momentum, Juan Martin suffered a nasty knee injury and never recovered. Del Potro tried in every way to give himself one last chance to return to play, but his physical condition worsened more and more and the various surgeries did not alleviate his physical and mental suffering.
The 2009 US Open champion played his last official match against Federico Delbonis in Buenos Aires in 2022, crying for almost the entire duration of the fight and receiving a beautiful ovation from his fans.
Delpo pays tribute to Nole
The former Argentine champion will have the opportunity to face a legend like Novak Djokovic on Sunday, December 1st in Buenos Aires, in an exhibition match that will have a very special meaning. Delpo and Nole have always had a great relationship despite their rivalry, and the 24-time Grand Slam champion offered to be his last opponent in his farewell match.
Djokovic and Del Potro© @settenisok X account
During an interview with ‘Telefe Argentina’ before his match against Djokovic in Baires, Juan Martin paid tribute to the Serbian legend: “Having Djokovic come is the most beautiful reward I could have. I have a very warm, very human relationship with him and he is the one who always offers himself for these crazy things. He quickly replied that he was counting on me and that we were going to put on a good show.”
He also added: “The preparation for this match is like for any tournament, but with physical limitations. I have perfected the slice because I do my backhand badly because of my wrist, and Djokovic already knows that it’s not worth it to hit me and I have set some conditions for him, but he’s the king on the court and whatever he tells me, I follow.”
Novak himself proposed to Delpo to organize this exhibition match, making a beautiful gesture for his great friend. The 24-time Grand Slam champion is going through the last phase of his glorious career, but he has paid homage to all his greatest rivals in the last two years.
An era of tennis ended with the retirements of Federer, Nadal, Murray and del Potro, all of which were important for the Serbian ace and marked his career. Del Potro was probably the most unfortunate of all his rivals, due to serious injuries that damaged his career.
Del Potro’s daily life
Although Juan Martin has stopped being a professional tennis player, his daily life is still not serene and pain characterizes most of his days. The former Top 10 recently opened his Academy in Florida, but he struggles to lead a normal life and is forced to take many pills to stay healthy.
The 2009 US Open champion wants to be an example for young athletes and hopes that his experience will help many people. Professional sport puts a strain on athletes’ bodies, and life after retirement is not always as easy as many imagine.
“My daily life is not what I wish. I was a very active person who loved sports, not just playing tennis. And suddenly, I get invited to play football, and I’m the one who brings the mate and sits on the sidelines. Or they go to play padel, and I just make videos. And for me, it’s terrible,” Delpo revealed on his social media.
He continued: “I underwent eight surgeries on my knee with doctors worldwide, spending a fortune. Every time I was put under anesthesia, I felt I was going to come out well-operated and that I wasn’t going to go under the knife again. I would think, ‘wow, I’m going to turn this around without pain.’ But after two or three months, I found myself calling the doctor and saying: ‘this didn’t work, I’m the same as always.”
Tennis World USA