The Argentinian Juan Martin Del Potro will be on the tennis stage in his home country for the very last time on Sunday. Before the show match against Novak Djokovic, the 36-year-old gives another intimate insight into his inner life.
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- Juan Martin Del Potro will face his friend and former rival Novak Djokovic in a show match in Buenos Aires on Sunday.
- The former world number 3 from Argentina has had to endure a life of pain for several years. Despite countless treatments, his knee in particular is giving him a lot of trouble.
The 1.98 m tall, gentle giant with the brute forehand was one of the crowd favorites on the tour. He celebrated his greatest success at the US Open in 2009, when he beat Rafael Nadal in the semi-final and Roger Federer in the final to win his only major title. The epic semi-final at the 2012 Olympic Games in London, when he lost out to Federer, was also unforgettable. In 2018, he reached another Grand Slam final in New York.
Del Potro has won a total of 22 tournaments and won two singles medals at the Olympic Games. In 2016, the former world number 3 won the Davis Cup with Argentina.
However, "The Tower of Tandil" has made headlines in recent years, particularly with his story of suffering. He had to go under the knife a total of eight times due to his injured right knee. His wrist has also caused him problems in the past.
A life with pain
In an emotional Instagram video, he gave an insight into how difficult his everyday life is. Since the first operation (2019), his health has been miserable, according to Del Potro. "Since I was 31, I can't walk, I can't climb stairs, I can't kick a ball and I can never play tennis again (...). It's terrible. I hope it will stop one day, because I want to live my life without pain."
«The knee has defeated me»
It was "like a never-ending nightmare", describes the now 36-year-old. "Every day when I wake up, I have to take six or seven tablets (...). The pills made me put on weight, so they told me I couldn't eat certain things anymore."
Djokovic pays tribute to Delpo
"It's very tough," emphasizes Del Potro. There are good and bad moments. "But most of the time I have to pretend and put on a good face, but often I feel terrible." Some doctors would recommend that he has an artificial knee joint fitted, while others warn that he is too young for a prosthesis.
Del Potro will play Novak Djokovic next Sunday in Buenos Aires to say goodbye to the tour for good. "I want to be in the best possible shape for this match," he explains.
The Serb's participation in the show match is a great pleasure for him. "I want to give him as much love as possible. If my leg leaves me in peace for at least one, two or three hours and I can be happy on the tennis court, that would be very nice," emphasizes Del Potro.
