Moments after Argentine tennis player Juan Martin del Potro read his ‘retirement’ speech before the press, sadness set in.
Many of his fans across the world are yet to come to terms with his thoughts on retirement.
The US Open Grand Slam champions told the world that his appearances in Rio de Janeiro and Bueno Aires could mark an end to his tennis career.
Is Juan Martin Del Potro Retired?
Both tournaments are going down in a fortnight. He had this to say in his melancholic presser on Saturday.
“I always overcame everything. I don’t want to close the door. I’m very excited because I love tennis,” del Potro stated.
“Today I have to be honest so as not to give the wrong message, although in two and a half years I gave messages that were not in line with my reality.
“If I’m honest I have to say that I’m not here for a miraculous comeback like on other occasions. I know the limitations I have physically, and we’ll see later.”
Juan Martin del Potro retirement is all because of injuries. Photo/Tennis World
Speaking of a longstanding knee and wrist injury, del Potro said he fought hard and long enough but decided to bid farewell to his fans on the court.
“With this injury, I always said I wouldn’t give up. The farewell had to be on a court and not in a conference.”
Since shattering his kneecap in June 2019 at Queen’s in London, the 33-year-old hasn’t played a competitive match.
Pained by this fact, he shed tears during the press conference.
Which Grand Slam Did Del Potro Win?
The Argentine’s biggest moment in his career was in 2009 when he won the US Open.
Del Potro beat Rafael Nadal in the semifinals and Roger Federer in the final. He became the first person to beat both Federer and Nadal in the same Major tournament for the first time ever.
In addition, he is the only non-Big Three player – including Novak Djokovic – to win a major championship between the 2005 French Open and the 2012 Wimbledon Championships.
Del Potro hangs his tennis boots with a ranking of 745 by the Association of Tennis Players (ATP).
In addition to his victory at the Indian Wells Masters in 2018, he also reached the final of the 2018 US Open.
He also won a bronze medal in men’s singles at the 2012 London Olympics and a silver medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
Juan Martin Del Potro ATP Rankings
When the ATP announced its first-ever top-10 rankings on October 6, 2008, del Potro became the first player to break into the top 10.
A right wrist injury forced him to miss much of the 2010 season when he was ranked fourth in the world.
For Argentina’s first-ever Davis Cup triumph in 2016, del Potro defeated Croatia’s Marin Cilic in the final after coming back from two sets down.
In the quarterfinals of the 2017 US Open, he beat Roger Federer for the first time in four years to reach his first major semifinal in four years.
The Indian Wells Masters in 2018 saw him upset then defending champion and world No.1 Federer to win his maiden Masters 1000 title.
To match his career-high ranking, he reached the semifinals of the 2018 French Open.
He rose to world No. 3 for the first time in August 2018. He reached the US Open final for the second time in his career in 2018 but lost to Djokovic.
Why Did Del Potro Retire?
In what will be his first competitive action since 2019, the 33-year-old received wild cards into the Argentina Open and the Rio Open presented by Claro.
This marks his first competitive play since four right knee surgeries in 2019 but it is a farewell as he put in Saturday’s press conference.
Juan Martin del Potro retirement is all because of injuries. Photo/Eurosport
The Argentine described how his health issues transcend beyond the court and into his daily home life after the knee injury.
He says driving for three hours has now become difficult ever since the injuries set it.
“I’ve been sleeping with pain for two-and-a-half years. I used to drive three-and-a-half hours to Tandil and now I have to stop to stretch my leg. I don’t like it, but it’s what I have to do. My fight is about health and winning quality of life,” he averred.
Del Potro admits that he has no regrets at all because he achieved most of what he always wanted in life.
“Unfortunately I had to deal with many injuries, but I achieved most of the things I wanted to achieve.”
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