Juan Martin del Potro’s career has been very unfortunate. The former Top 10 player has won several titles and reached the peak of his career in 2009, when he won his first and only Grand Slam title at the US Open by defeating Swiss legend Roger Federer in the final.
The former Swiss champion had long been in control of that final, in which he led by two sets to one, but Delpo had a very strong reaction one step away from defeat and achieved a memorable feat. As fate would have it, after that atrocious disappointment, King Roger did not win in New York for the rest of his career (after winning five titles in a row at Flushing Meadows).
Juan Martin del Potro© Stream screenshot
The Argentine has been a serious threat to the Big 3 for several years, having an excellent serve and very powerful shots from the baseline that made him dangerous on all surfaces. No one knows how much Juan Martin could have won if he hadn’t had all those injuries during his career.
The 2009 US Open champion experienced the last great season of his career in 2018, when he won the Indian Wells Masters 1000 by beating Federer after erasing two match points in the third set.
A very serious knee injury essentially forced del Potro to leave professional tennis, after playing his last match against Delbonis in Buenos Aires in 2022.
Delpo will face Nole
The Argentine champion is preparing to play the last match of his career in a few days. Juan Martin will play an exhibition match with his friend and former rival Novak Djokovic in Buenos Aires on December 1st. At this time, the Argentine giant will be able to say goodbye to fans in his country and will have the chance to face one of the best tennis players of all time.
In a video to promote the event, del Potro revealed how difficult his final years were: “I stayed two months in Switzerland, in a village near Basel, for my rehabilitation, but it didn’t work,” he sighs. “After two and a half months, I had my sixth surgery. I returned to the United States and had over a hundred injections, injections everywhere – in a hip, a leg, my back… These are daily sufferings. This has been my life since my last match.”
He continued: “What many didn’t know is that the day after my last match against Federico Delbonis, I boarded a flight to Switzerland for my fifth knee surgery.
Since then, I chose not to disclose my surgical procedures publicly. I found solace in the press conference prior to that match, where I hinted it could be my swan song. This helped diminish the incessant questions about my potential return to the tour.
I went through this entire process in secrecy, and had it been successful, I would’ve been thrilled to announce my comeback. I spent two arduous months in a quaint village near Basel, Switzerland, in hopes of rehabilitation — yet, it ultimately proved futile.”
A terrible experience
A terrible experience that Juan Martin would not have deserved. The Argentine player would certainly have deserved more luck and his board would be much more glorious without all those injuries. Del Potro also scared Roger Federer, Rafa Nadal and Nole Djokovic, who suffered several defeats against him even in the most important tournaments.
The hope is that the former Top 10 will be able to live peacefully and without too much pain, also thanks to the rehabilitation he is carrying out. Delpo opened an Academy in Florida a short time ago and that will be his main occupation in the coming years.
Juan martin del Potro, US Open 2018© Stream screenshot
Meanwhile, the 2009 US Open champion confided that he has trained a lot to be ready for the clash with Djokovic in Baires: “I started my diet, I’m losing weight, I’m training. I wanna arrive in that match in the best shape possible. It’s a match to say goodbye.
Djokovic was very generous in accepting my invitation. I want to give him all the love possible. If at least for one, two or three hours I can be in peace and happy on a tennis court, it will be beautiful.”
The knee injury was not the only problem in Juan Martin’s career. The Argentine also had a serious injury to both wrists, which prevented him from playing for a long time and forced him to modify his backhand. Del Potro had to learn to use the slice and renew his game, but he never gave up and managed to become competitive again before his knee forced him to end his career.