Tennis
Juan Martin Del Potro remains vague on his retirement
(Buenos Aires) Argentinian Juan Martin Del Potro, ex-N. 3 in the world, lost 6-1, 6-3 on Tuesday to compatriot Federico Delbonis in the Buenos Aires tournament, but he did not mark the end of his career as he had previously suggested.
“Today I gave everything I had, down to the last point. I’m happy because probably my last match was on a court and not giving a press conference,” “Delpo” told the cheering audience.
“We may never see each other again”, also launched, with tears in his eyes, to the 5000 spectators the 33-year-old Argentinian.
PHOTO GUSTAVO GARELLO, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Juan Martin Del Potro
“To be honest, it’s a moment that I never wanted to see happen. My health leads me to have to make a decision. I don’t have as much strength as a lot of people think. I think I have realized all my tennis dreams. Today, I wish I could sleep without pain”.
However, it is not excluded that due to commercial commitments he will still play the Rio de Janeiro tournament from Monday.
Del Potro, who had not played on the circuit for almost three years because of a knee injury, had nevertheless announced on Saturday that it was in the Argentine capital a “farewell more than a return “, and that there was” no better tournament than that of Buenos Aires to “retire.
The 1.98m Argentinian, nicknamed the Tower of Tandil, had his finest hour at the 2009 US Open by defeating Rafael Nadal in the semi-finals, then Roger Federer in the final, in five sets, thus becoming the first Argentinian since Guillermo Vilas, in 1977, to win a Grand Slam tournament. The only one of his career.
‘Delpo’ also helped give Argentina their first Davis Cup in 2016, winning a decisive point, that of the equalizer at 2-2 on Sunday, against the Croatian Marin Cilic. Then Federico Delbonis scored the 3and point, that of a historic victory.
The best Argentine player of the last twenty years has also won two hard-fought Olympic medals. Bronze at London-2012, beating Novak Djokovic, then silver at Rio-2016, after beating Djokovic and Nadal but yielding in the final against Andy Murray.
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Jessica Martinez is an author at Sportish, a publication dedicated to sports news and analysis. She covers various topics related to sports and provides insightful commentary on the latest developments in the world of sports.