A great comeback after three years. But it’s career end. I guess there is no more unlucky guy

He played for the last time in June 2019 in London. In the first round he defeated Canadian Denis Shapovalov. The next meeting with the Spaniard Feliciano Lopez forfeited. Since then, due to health reasons, he has not appeared on the court. During this time, he underwent four knee surgeries. In the ATP ranking, it fell to 757th place.

“I suffered not only as a tennis player”

Del Potro thought about ending his career many times, even at a time when he was close to the top of tennis. – Once I was very close to making such a decision, between the third and fourth wrist surgery. I suffered not only as a tennis player, but also as a man who has to enter the operating room, take sedation and do not know what might happen next – he explained. – There was not a day without pain, without treatments, without rehabilitation – he added.

Despite wrist problems that began in 2014, del Potro gritted his teeth, struggled and succeeded. In 2018, he was ranked third in the world ranking. The Argentine is the winner of as many as 22 ATP tournaments, whose greatest success was his victory at the US Open in 2009.

In the final in New York he was losing 1: 2 in sets with, but he managed to make up for the losses and win the decisive set 6: 2. Earlier in the semi-finals he swept Rafael Nadal off the court, winning 3-0 in sets and losing just six games (6: 2, 6: 2, 6: 2). The Spaniard said after the match that it was one of his most painful defeats in his career and that he had not had a duel in which he had nothing to say for a long time.

In the same 2009, del Potro advanced to the Roland Garros semi-finals and the Australian Open quarter-finals. Anyway, in his career, in every Grand Slam tournament, he was at least in the quarter-finals. He was also successful at the Olympics. In 2012, he won a bronze medal in London, four years later he won silver in Rio de Janeiro. Due to operations and rehabilitation, he failed to start in Tokyo.

Unsuccessful business, and then the death of my father

In 2019, notorious problems with the right knee began. In less than two years, del Potro underwent four operations – the last one in March 2021. In total, including wrist procedures, the Argentinian has undergone eight operations in the last seven years.

And those weren’t his only troubles. Financial problems have come to the fore.

Interestingly, del Potro did not know about them at first. For years, his father, Daniel, who had trained rugby and was a veterinarian in the past, has been in charge of his finances. Juan trusted him blindly and did not control his father’s activities. After his death in January 2021, unsuccessful business and unpaid loans came to light, and bailiffs knocked on the Argentine tennis player. According to the journalists of the TV show “A la tarte” del Potro senior, he could lose up to $ 30 million. The unsuccessful investments included the lease of 9,000 hectares of land and the purchase of equipment necessary to create a soybean plantation.

Everything happened in parallel. Operations, career break, my father’s departure, financial troubles … – It’s been hard for me since my father’s death. However, I can feel the force that he sends me from above. One day I got up and called Dr. Jorge Chahla. I felt that I had to try again – said the Argentinian about the fight to return to the court.

Wrist injuries destroyed the backhand. But a great forehand was left

When he played, he was able to impress. Del Potro is a fighter who has always been famous for two very powerful weapons – the atomic service and the forehand. His passes regularly exceeded the speed of 200 km / h. Even Federer praised his forehand.

– What I like is that del Potro is not really holding back in this play. He doesn’t care if he misses the court a few times. He does this until he finds his proper rhythm. I think many juniors should see this really great forehand as a role model – said the Swiss.

In the early years of his career, del Potro also had one of the best backhand in men’s tennis. When played with both hands, it was very powerful and precise. However, surgery on his left wrist forced him to change his style of play. Del Potro started using backhand slide more often. He did it to put less strain on his wrist. He said openly that the backhand after surgery had become one of the weakest elements of his tennis.

An emotional performance in Buenos Aires. Back, but only for a while

A few weeks ago, the Argentinian praised his return to training on social media. From the very beginning, he had a clearly defined goal in which tournaments he wanted to play, but he learned from the past and waited to announce the official announcement.

We know more now. As announced, del Potro was to appear in two tournaments played on meal. The Argentine got a wild card from the organizers for the ATP 250 tournament in Buenos Aires starting on February 7. The highest seeded player in the tournament is the Norwegian (8th ATP). It is already known that del Potro will face his compatriot Federico Delbonis (41st ATP) in the first round.

After this tournament, del Potro was also due to appear in the ATP 500 event in Rio De Janeiro (February 14-20) thanks to his wild card. However, this is not certain. Especially that del Potro at the press conference before the tournament in Buenos Aires suggested that he would end his career soon. – I will play in the tournament in Buenos Aires, but the effort I put into it is huge. I believe it will be more of a farewell than a return – he admitted.

Del Potro’s performance in Buenos Aires will definitely be an emotional return for him. The last time he played there was in 2006, when he was only 17 years old. Then he lost to the Spanish Juan Carlos Ferrero.

– It can be a tennis challenge or a life challenge. I believe in myself and cut myself off from the past. I think it is also a message for young children, all players, all people around the world that they never have to give up on following their dreams. I’m doing it with myself right now, says del Potro.