Juan Martín del Potro hints that his retirement from tennis is getting closer | Other Sports | sports

The Argentinian Juan Martin del Potro, former number 3 of the ranking World Cup, hinted that his retirement from tennis is getting closer, at a press conference he gave on Saturday, shortly before his return to the Buenos Aires ATP.

“It’s more of a farewell than a return,” Del Potro said through tears, unable to avoid emotion, in the hours before his return to the major tennis circuit after 32 months of inactivity.

Del Potro, champion of the US Open-2009, and member of the Argentine team that won the Davis Cup-2016 and currently 757th in the ranking, has not played since June 2019, when an ailment aggravated by a fracture in the right patella that he had suffered at the 2018 Shanghai Masters 1000.

“The knee has me living a nightmare. I’ve been trying treatments, doctors for many years and I never imagined retiring from tennis if it wasn’t playing. I couldn’t find a better tournament than the one in Buenos Aires to be able to do it. After these weeks, I’ll look to the future”, Said the 33-year-old player about the possibility of putting an end to his professional career.

“It’s a difficult decision,” remarked Del Potro, and although he did not confirm his goodbye immediately, he made it clear that physical problems are still with him and prevent him from completing a successful lap of the circuit as he has already done in at least three opportunities, so Buenos Aires and Rio could see the last ‘bombings’ of their powerful right.

The sports world says goodbye

Del Potro’s announcement generated the immediate reaction of other great sports figures, among them the former Argentine basketball player Emanuel Ginobili, legend of the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA, who told him that “your tears are those of all those we love and we are close to sport. I admire and appreciate you. All the best, friend!”

Another history of tennis, Gabriela Sabatini, wrote him that “we really enjoyed watching you play and you made us vibrate so many times, thanks for everything you gave to this sport that we love so much. Today you have a life ahead of you and a long way to goMay you always be very happy. We will continue to share many more moments. I love you”.

In turn, the Spaniard Rafael Nadal, fifth in the ATP world ranking and recent winner of the Australian Open, his twenty-first Grand Slam title, paid some sensitive words to the Argentine on Twitter, accompanying the message with a photograph in which both tennis players are embracing.

“It hurts our soul to see you say goodbye to tennis. We hope you can enjoy these farewell moments as best as possible. We will miss you very much!”, wrote the Spaniard.

Without miracles

Del Potro, silver medalist in the Rio Olympics-2016 and bronze in London-2012, he underwent surgery on his right knee four times, the last in 2021, and since then he began a long rehabilitation process.

“I can’t wait to get on the court on Tuesday. What I am living is because of what I had surgery for the last time and so I made the effort to be able to play. I love this sport, but it is difficult to deal with so much pain and do it as well as I always had to do it”, he expressed.

On Tuesday night he will face his compatriot Federico Delbonis, according to the draw for the tournament in Buenos Aires.

“If I’m honest, I have to say that I’m not here for a miraculous lap like on other occasions. I know the limitations I have physically,” he said.

For this return, Del Potro revealed that his mother Patricia will be present for the first time as a spectator. “She never saw me in a tournament”, he confessed.

In addition, these next tournaments will be the first that the player will face without his father, Daniel, who died in January 2021.

As announced at the end of January, Del Potro will also play the ATP 500 in Rio from February 14.

“Throughout the injury I said I was not going to lower my arms and that my possible retirement was a game and not a press conference, “he remarked.

‘Delpo’ had already expressed in networks his desire to play again in Buenos Aires, where he only performed once at the ATP level in 2006.

“I fulfilled all the dreams in tennis. Time will tell later how I settle in, how my health continues. In these years I could never train like I did in these last three months. I lost 12 kilos, I made a lot of effort, and I told myself that it will be what it has to be. [Este regreso] It will be unforgettable”, remarked the player known as ‘the Tower of Tandil’.

Del Potro’s return generated immense expectation in Buenos Aires, to the point that the tickets for his game on Tuesday were sold out in just a while. (D)

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