Gabriela Sabatini and Juan Martín Del Potro won an emotional exhibition in the preview of the US Open: their best plays

Gabriela Sabatini, 54, and Juan Martin Del Potro, 35, won an exhibition match at Arthur Ashe Stadium, in the run-up to the start of the US Open against two other legends, Andy Roddick and Caroline Wozniacki. It was a match full of emotion and nostalgia in which the Argentine tennis players offered portions of their enormous, ageless talent.

The four tennis players came out onto the court after the duel between the pair of John McEnroe and Novak Djokovic against Andre Agassi and Carlos Alcaraz, and all the protagonists wore microphones on the sides of their cheeks to contribute to the spectacle by being able to communicate with the public in the stands.

Roddick led the show, even taking advantage of a part of the time to raise his voice in the middle of a rally won by Del Potro against Wozniacki. Moments before, the American had made a remarkable gesture by inviting a ball boy to take his racket and join the action. After two bad shots, the third time was the charm for the boy, who crossed some balls to the other side of the net, won a point on a volley and earned Andy’s congratulations.

The match, which was set for a 10-point match tiebreak, was extended for a few extra minutes due to the tie and the Argentine pair began to come back with the help of Sabatini. Gaby scored a point at the net to balance everything at 7-7 and that was the starting point for the victory in the United States. After losing a match point, the Albicelestes did not fail in the next opportunity to close the set 11-9.

* Another of the best plays of the match

“Impressive. This stadium is spectacular, full of people. It is a pleasure to be here with Juan, Andy and Caroline,” said an emotional Sabatini, who looked in a physical condition that was on par with what she was in at the height of her career. “It was a fantastic night, a pleasure to be here with Gaby and play a match against Andy and Caroline. For me, this stadium is very special,” concluded the Torre de Tandil.

New York is a special city for Sabatini and Del Potro, as it was in the Big Apple that they achieved their greatest sporting achievements. Both Argentine tennis players celebrated their only Grand Slam title in the United States, the same stage to which they will return to play in a special event organized by the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.

The exhibition, called “Stars of the Open,” is part of the US Open Fan Week, which offers a variety of events leading up to the main tournament, including gastronomic experiences, musical shows and entertainment for children and teenagers, as well as plenty of tennis in the run-up to the start of official activity at the latest tournament considered one of the greats of the circuit along with the Australian Open, Roland Garros and Wimbledon.

Among the participants of this edition are active players such as Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz, Caroline Wozniacki, Frances Tiafoe and Jessica Pegula, as well as legends of the sport such as John McEnroe and Andre Agassi. Earlier, in fact, a training session between Nole and Del Potro took place, which also had its humorous overtones.

The exhibition was for charity, with part of the proceeds going to the USTA Foundation, which supports educational and tennis programs for low-income communities.

* The point that Gaby Sabatini won and started the Argentine comeback

It is important to mention that the relationship between Sabatini and Del Potro has always been close. In March 2021, Gaby was the special guest of the Grand Jury at the Konex Platinum Award ceremony, which recognized Del Potro for his career in the decade 2010-2019. In February 2022, after the announcement of Delpo’s retirement, the Argentine flag bearer at the 1988 Seoul Olympics dedicated emotional words to him on her social networks.

He later attended the Argentina Open to witness Del Potro’s final professional match at the Buenos Aires Lawn Tennis in the middle of an Argentina Open duel.

For Gabriela Sabatini, the 1990 US Open was the stage for her greatest achievement on the WTA circuit when she beat Steffi Graf in the final, thus achieving the first Grand Slam for an Argentine tennis player in history. She beat the German 6-2 and 7-6 (7-4) at the Louis Armstrong Stadium, which was replaced in 1997. That was Gaby’s 15th of the 27 titles she achieved in her glorious career.

For his part, Del Potro’s performance in the 2009 edition marked his career forever after defeating Roger Federer, becoming one of the favorites of the New York public. At 20 years old, the Tandil native defeated the Swiss 3-6, 7-6 (7-5), 4-6, 7-6 (7-4) and 6-2 in a final that was played on Monday, September 14 at the Arthur Ashe due to the postponement due to rain. With that iconic victory, the Argentine racket ended a six-year, 40-match unbeaten streak at the US Open for Federer.

Tonight’s duel between the Argentine and American duo offered a particular detail: in 2012, Del Potro beat Roddick in what was his farewell to professional tennis, since after the defeat, Andy announced his retirement.

Sabatini and Delpo share a laugh during a part of the match: they used microphones to interact with the public (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)