In his bid to return to full match fitness, Del Potro slipped at the net in the Fever-Tree Championships at Queens against the now world number 12, Dennis Shapovalov, in June 2019. Although going on to win the match 7-5, 6-4, the Argentine had to withdraw from the tournament and did not return from his right-knee injury until now, at the Argentine Open. His straight sets loss to fellow Argentine Federico Delbonis was deemed by Juan to be more of a ‘farewell,’ rather than a comeback and this was signalled by the ‘Gentle Giant’ breaking down before his final service game of the match. A two-minute pause saw the emotions of Juan supplemented by the crowd chanting ‘Delpo’ in support of their hero, as they recognised the finality of the occasion.
A two-minute pause saw the emotions of Juan supplemented by the crowd chanting ‘Delpo’ in support of their hero
A clearly difficult on-court interview after the match saw Juan explain how it would be ‘very hard’ for him to continue and this has been seen through his withdrawal of the Rio Open, as a final decision on his retirement is still yet to be announced, although seemingly inevitable. The man from the Tandil region explained how he has had to sleep with discomfort in his knee for the past two years, as viewers could visibly see through his interview the pain and suffering he had been going through.
A career plagued by wrist injures, before his knee injury, has not stopped the tennis world from recognising the successes of ‘Delpo.’ A Grand Slam US Open title in five sets against Roger Federer in 2009 would be the pinnacle of Del Potro’s career, along with a career high ranking of number three in 2018 on the back of a consistently impressive year on the circuit. In a sport known for its outspoken, even arrogant individuals in some cases, ‘Delpo’ was a shining light. He was always the neutral’s favourite for his temperament on and off the court and his slam-dunk forehand, with a fluorescent technique, was ironically pleasing on the eye for someone dubbed as a ‘giant.’
I speak for myself and the whole of the tennis world when I say that we will truly miss Del Potro gracing the courts on the circuit and we wish him a healthy and happy retirement, as his announcement seems inevitable.