For almost three years he’s been alone in his pain, refusing to share his woes with the fans, but now Juan Martín del Potro (36) has spoken for the first time since his last match about the serious health problems that severely limited and ultimately ended his successful career.
In an emotional video, the former world No. 3 and 2009 US Open winner lamented the fact that even a series of knee surgeries and months of rehabilitation have not helped him live an ordinary life without pain. Doctors recommend that he have an artificial joint fitted in about 15 years, but until then he has to endure.
However, the Argentine has announced some happy news – he will hopefully play his long-awaited farewell match against Novak Djokovic on Sunday in Buenos Aires.
“When I played my last match against (Federico) Delbonis, people didn’t know. I didn’t talk about it. The very next day I flew to Switzerland for another knee surgery. Fifth time overall. Since then, I haven’t talked about the surgeries publicly,” Del Potro said in the video released.
He was talking about February 2022, when he played his first match in Buenos Aires since June 2019 and ultimately his last. On the court with compatriot Federico Delbonis, he suffered physically and mentally. He knew that it was probably his last match, that he wouldn’t be back on the courts.
“At the press conference before the match with Federico, I said that this will probably be my last match. I found peace there. The eternal questions about when we’d see me again in the tournament are over,” he recalls. “I couldn’t take the pain anymore. And I told myself I had to deal with it in secret… And that if I could, I would announce that I was coming back.”
The problems with his right knee began in October 2018, when he broke his kneecap after a fall at the Masters tournament in Shanghai. He returned to the courts a few months later and made five tournament appearances in 2019, but he aggravated the same injury at Queen’s, kicking off years of suffering under medical care.
Daily suffering
“I spent two months in Switzerland in a village near Basel. They operated on me, rehabilitated me, but it didn’t help. After two and a half months they told me they had to operate again. For the sixth time,” he said as tears welled up in his eyes.
“I flew to the US, continued to rehabilitate and tried other treatments in between surgeries. I got over a hundred injections in my leg, hip, back… They injected me, analysed me, burned my nerves, blocked my tendons… Since that fight with Federico, it’s been a daily ordeal. Not to mention the previous two years after the injury.”
“That match should have said ‘Ciao, tennis’. I don’t have any hope of playing again because my body won’t let me.”
Awoken by pain
“Before the first operation, the doctor told me that I would be playing again in three months. That was in June 2019. I signed up for the autumn tournaments in Stockholm, Basel and Paris because the doctor told me to,” he continued.
“I just can’t walk up the stairs without pain since the surgery. On my daily trip to Tandil, which takes four hours, I have to stop halfway and stretch my legs. I often have pain when I sleep. Severe pain wakes me up when I turn on my side. It is an endless nightmare.
“Every day I look for solutions, doctors, alternatives, but I still haven’t found anything. It all started with that first operation, and when I think about it, it always brings up a lot of bad emotions in me. I’m angry, desperate, helpless… And I can’t change it.”
Juan Martin del Potro on Instagram telling the story of how his career had to end way earlier than he deserved. Strong and emotional. Tough not to cry.
During his career, he won the 2009 US Open, helped his country to a Davis Cup triumph in 2016, was in the final of the 2009 ATP Finals and has an Olympic bronze from London 2012 and a silver from Rio de Janeiro 2016. When healthy, he was one of the biggest threats to the legendary Big Four. He claimed 20 of their scalps, beating Roger Federer seven times, Rafael Nadal six times, Novak Djokovic four times and Andy Murray three times.
He climbed as high as third in the world rankings and climbed from near the bottom to the top 10 three times, twice falling outside the top 400 due to long health breaks, but his final challenge was one he wasn’t able to conquer.
“Injuries are hard for athletes, but the other thing is emotions,” he said. “I felt strong when I faced the obstacles that came my way.
“But in the end, I find that I am not that strong. I feel that my knee problems have defeated me. I’ve had eight surgeries with doctors all over the world. I always hoped that they would solve the problem, but after two or three months, I would call them and tell them that the surgery didn’t help.”
Waiting for a prosthesis
Del Potro admitted that some doctors had already recommended a total knee replacement, but at 36, he’s too young for that.
“There are doctors who recommend a prosthesis to improve my quality of life, but others tell me I’m too young for that and that I should wait until I’m 50,” he said.
“But I can’t run since I was 31, I can barely walk up the stairs, I can’t kick a ball and I can’t play tennis. I have to wait another 15 years. It’s terrible. I hope it will end one day because I want a life without pain.”
“I feel I have to share my feelings. I have always been in touch with the fans and maybe this news will help and inspire other people. My life is not the way I would like it to be.
I’ve always been a very active kid who loved to play sports. Now I get invited to a football game and I’m the one who sits down with a coffee next to the field. Or they play padel and I film them. It’s terrible for me. I’ve lost my passion for what I’ve always loved. And not just in tennis.”
Saying goodbye with Djokovic
He always longed for a farewell on the court. It was supposed to take place during last year’s US Open with him being promised a wildcard, but severe pain stopped that from happening.
Now though, it looks like he’ll finally get one last match. On December 1, he is scheduled to play an exhibition match with Serbian star Djokovic in front of his home fans in Buenos Aires. Despite daily restrictions and pain, he is trying to prepare himself to be in the best possible shape.
Juan Martin del Potro will play his farewell match against Novak Djokovic. The match will take place in Buenos Aires on December 1st. We will never get the chance to see all he would’ve accomplished if he had been blessed with a healthy & long career. But tennis will always be grateful for what he gave us. Wishing him a beautiful farewell… he deserves it.
“I want to be as ready as possible. I’m on a diet, I’m losing weight and training. It will be a farewell show, there is no turning back now,” Del Potro promises.
“Djokovic was very generous when he accepted my invitation. It will be a special moment for me, but I would like Novak to take away the best memories of Argentina and the Argentine fans.
“I wish I could have at least a few hours without pain in my leg and enjoy my last moments on the tennis court. It would be amazing. To be able to give the fans a beautiful tennis moment with Novak, full of love, so that everyone would have great memories of that night.”