Juan Martin Del Potro opens up on injury ‘nightmare’ in emotional video | ATP Tour | Tennis

Del Potro opens up on injury ‘nightmare’ in emotional video

The Argentine tells his personal story in new detail

November 26, 2024

In a profound statement he shared Monday on social media, Juan Martin del Potro went into detail about how he has coped with his injury struggles over the past few years. The 2009 US Open champion spoke openly about the difficulties of his day-to-day life, the limitations imposed by a battle-weary body and a desire as simple as it is valuable: to be able to look forward to a future with some quality of life.

The 36-year-old’s words came almost three years after his last match as a professional. On 9 February 2022, on the clay of the Argentina Open, Del Potro surrendered at the Buenos Aires ATP 250, where he said goodbye to his people. He was not able to advance beyond the first round, winning just four games against his compatriot Federico Delbonis. It was of little bother to someone who was waiting for the torture to end.

“When I played the last match against Delbonis… people didn’t know and I never said anything. The next day I took a plane to Switzerland and I had another operation on my knee. It was my fifth one. From there, I never made my operations public again,” he revealed, speaking in Spanish. “In the press conference before the match with Federico, when I said it would probably be my last match, that’s where I found some peace. It brought an end to something that was always there, that ‘Delpo, when will you play again?’, ‘Will I see you in a tournament again?’ 

“I couldn’t take the pain in my leg anymore. I told myself I needed to do this under the radar, in secret… If it works, I’ll announce that I’m coming back.

“I went to Switzerland, I was there for two months indoors in a village near Basel. They operated on me, I did the rehab and it didn’t work. After two and a half months they said, ‘There’s one thing left, we’re going to operate on you again.’ The sixth time! Afterwards, I went to the USA, I continued with the rehab and I was trying treatments between operations… I must have had over 100 injections in my leg, in my hip, in my back… They injected me, they took stuff out, they analysed me, they burnt my nerves, they blocked my tendons… Suffering that I have every day. And it’s been like that ever since that final day with Federico, not to mention the previous two years since the day of my injury. That match was to say, ‘Ciao, tennis.’ I no longer have any hope of playing again because my body won’t allow it.”

 

It was a constant battle for a player destined to define an era on the ATP Tour, at the mercy of a body that prevented him from finding any consistency. The former No. 3 in the PIF ATP Rankings, plagued by wrist and knee injuries throughout his career, never managed to shake off the burden most feared by any athlete. It would eat away at him as he searched for a solution he would never find.

“When I had my first operation, the doctor said to me, ‘In three months you’ll be able to play again.’ That was in June 2019. I’d signed up to the tournaments in Stockholm, Basel and Paris because the doctor told me to sign up because I’d be ready in time to play. I haven’t been able to climb a stairway pain-free since the first operation. The daily trip I make to Tandil, which is four hours, I have to stop halfway and stretch my legs. It often hurts when I’m sleeping. If I turn onto my side I wake up because I get shooting pains which are really bad. It’s like an endless nightmare. Every day I continue to look for solutions, doctors, alternatives. I still haven’t found anything. It all started with that first operation. Every time I think about it, it really brings up a lot of bad emotions. It makes me feel angry, distressed, powerless… But I can’t change it.”

In that constant state of anguish, Del Potro has chosen to speak out and share his story, seeking help from people who can identify with his situation, perhaps a light at the end of the tunnel that may give him hope.

“I feel like I have to tell you all how I am because it does me good. I’ve always had a connection with the fans and maybe this message will inspire or help other people. As I’ve said, my daily life is not what I want it to be. I was a very active guy, who really liked playing sport, not just tennis. Suddenly, they invite me to play football and I’m the one who just brings the maté [an Argentine infusion] and sits on the sidelines. Or they play padel and I video it. To me this is horrible. Also, on the sporting side, my passion for what I always liked doing, which was playing tennis, has been taken away from me.

“The obstacles that can appear in the road, such as injuries, which are the most difficult thing for an athlete, are one thing, but the emotional pain is another thing altogether. I felt very powerful and strong in terms of facing the obstacles that appeared in my way and that I would always defeat them, within reason. I was strong, but in the end I realise that I’m not sure if I’m that strong. I feel like the knee issue defeated me.”

However, the desire to compete that lives inside him drove him to the farewell from tennis he always would have wanted: on the court, with a great atmosphere and a legendary opponent on the other side of the net. As much as his daily limitations will allow, Del Potro is preparing for a goodbye in keeping with his stature. On Sunday, surrounded by his people in Buenos Aires, he will take on the most decorated player of all time, Novak Djokovic, in a farewell exhibition match.

“I want to be as good as possible for it, as fit as possible,” said Del Potro. “But it’s an event, it’s a show to say goodbye. There’s no going back now.

“I think that Djokovic is the finishing touch, he was very generous in accepting the invitation. For me, apart from being a personal moment for me, I would like to give him a lot of love and from the people. I’d like him to take the best memories of Argentina and his Argentine fans. If, at least for one, two or three short hours, I can have some peace in my leg and enjoy something on a tennis court for the last time it would be amazing. And being able to give you all, along with Novak, a beautiful moment, with love and affection, and for you all to have good memories of that night.”

This story has been translated from ATPTour.com/es.