In the few fleeting days this February before Juan Martín del Potro was due to make his return to professional tennis on home soil at a small ATP 250 event in Buenos Aires the reality of what his first appearance in two and half years actually signified became clear.
For much of the past 16 years Del Potro’s career has been dictated by each new bitter slice of luck he has had to overcome, with numerous career-threatening injuries and moments when he seriously contemplated retirement. But somehow, through the strength of his character and talent, he would always work through those tough moments and return to his rightful place at the top. Not this time. After three knee surgeries and no solution to a freak fractured knee injury sustained in 2018, even he has found his limits. “It’s more a farewell than a return,” he said.
As Del Potro took to the court in Buenos Aires against his compatriot Federico Delbonis, before a raucous crowd filling every quiet moment with chants of “Olé Delpo!”, those limitations were clear for all to see. He was simply no longer mobile enough to compete at the highest level of tennis and in such a cut-throat sport not even his fellow coutryman spared him sympathy, peppering him with drop-shots he had no hope of reaching.
Despite his considerable efforts Del Potro was beaten soundly, 6-1, 6-3, and the scene ended with him baring his soul to his audience for “probably” the last time: “I think I overdid it for two and half years to try and resolve the situation and be able to play, like I did so many other times,” he said through tears. “Sometimes I can also lose and I don’t have the strength to continue. That’s kind of how I feel now.”
In the wake of this apparent retirement a documentary about Del Potro is due to air in Argentina on Tuesday night.
Should he never play again, Del Potro will leave a legacy far greater than the weight of his one major title. He won the 2009 US Open aged 20 and the manner in which he pulled it off was unforgettable; he obliterated Rafael Nadal in the semi-final with the loss of only six games, then in the final he recovered from two sets to one down to beat Roger Federer.
In the process of attaining his early success Del Potro fashioned his own devastating brand of tennis. His flat, precise forehand was the most destructive groundstroke in the game, a stroke that unfurled in an eastern forehand grip with a high, elaborate swing, and that was soundtracked by the gasps of crowds around the world whenever he would unleash it. His success did not rest merely on his ball-striking but also on his much-improved serve and the mobility that framed his game despite his lanky 6ft 6in frame.
He was memorable not only because of the way he played his tennis but also his openness and generosity with his feelings, allowing his emotions to flow and reflect the deep passion he has for his sport. In both success and failure tears were always present but so, too, were those playful moments when he would add levity to pressure-filled matches by sharing small jokes and gestures with members of the audience. Whether conciliatory after a win or congratulatory following a loss, there was no greater proponent of the post-match hug.
The result of Del Potro’s game, his passion and the way he comported himself – his gentle mannerisms contrasting with the crack of that forehand – was that fans were drawn to him much more than to many more successful players. Whether or not spectators had entered the arenas for his matches cheering for him, they usually fell in his favour by the end.
Regardless of what his injuries took from him, Del Potro’s career was a triumph and, while his US Open title will always be widely considered his crowning achievement, the success he pulled off later in his career despite his on-court handicaps was an even clearer showing of greatness. Del Potro had already recovered from two right-wrist surgeries to reach a career-high ranking of fourth in 2014 when his left wrist crumbled.
He eventually fell to 1,042 in the ATP rankings and underwent two left-wrist surgeries. When he returned in 2016 he could not drop his wrists below horizontal when he made contact with his two-handed backhand, so he resorted to using a one-handed backhand slice or rolling in his two-handed backhand down the middle with no pace. He was essentially playing tennis against the best players in the world with no backhand.
Those are simply not conditions conducive to success for most players but, with his forehand and heart, Del Potro made it work. In 2016 alone he won an Olympic silver medal in Rio, beating Novak Djokovic in the first round and Nadal in the semi-final, and recovered from two sets down against Marin Cilic to clinch the Davis Cup that Argentina desperately craved. As the muscles in his wrist strengthened and his backhand became fractionally more effective, he soared even higher. In 2018 he won his first Masters 1000 title in Indian Wells, reached the US Open final and hit a new career high of No 3.
After years of fighting his body the success he was enjoying makes his current state even more frustrating. He was actually winning those battles. His undoing was instead a freak injury after he slipped in the middle of a match in Shanghai, a month after the US Open final. Still the mark he has left in the sport is undeniable and his success is even more meaningful considering the resilience and mental strength it took for him to keep on coming back until he was certain he had nothing left to give.
