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.
