Buenos Aires, December 2 (IANS). Novak Djokovic paid an emotional tribute to Argentine tennis great Juan Martin del Potro after his farewell exhibition match, calling him “a special player and a special person” whose greatest legacy goes far beyond his achievements on the court.
The exhibition match, which del Potro won 6-4, 7-5, ended in an emotional moment. On match point, Djokovic deliberately let del Potro hit his trademark forehand to score the winner, a gesture of ultimate respect.
“I don’t know anyone who doesn’t love Juan Martin. His greatest triumph in life is that he is a wonderful person.”
Roger Federer said in an emotional message: “You are a special player and a special person. I hope this moment is one you celebrate. You shouldn’t be sad. We all need to move on in life.” The best is yet to come for you.”
In his notable achievement, del Potro became the only player outside the Big Three to win a Grand Slam title between the 2005 Australian Open and the 2012 US Open. His biggest moment came at the 2009 US Open, where he defeated Nadal in the semi-finals and Federer in the final. The victory remains one of the most celebrated upsets in tennis history.
Despite his incredible talent, del Potro’s career was hampered by frequent injuries, particularly to his wrists and knees. These setbacks limited her ability to add more Grand Slam titles to her name, but they never diminished her enthusiasm or the love she received from fans and fellow players.
His battle with injuries began in 2018 when he fractured his right knee during the Shanghai Masters. A year later, he injured his knee again during the Queen’s Club Championships. These injuries required him to undergo eight surgeries and endure physical and emotional pain for many years.
In a social media post last week, del Potro opened up about the impact these injuries have had on his life. “My daily life is not what I want. I can’t play football, I can’t play padel (tennis). It’s terrible. They took away from me the opportunity to do what I loved most, that is, playing tennis. Every time When they would give me the anesthetic, I would hope the problem would be solved… After two or three months, I would always call the doctors to tell them the surgery was not working.”
At 36, del Potro still struggles daily with pain and limitations. Doctors have suggested that he may eventually need an artificial knee, but have advised him to wait until he is older. He said, “Since I was 31, I can’t run, climb stairs, hit a ball, never played tennis again. Do I have to wait another 15 years for this? It’s horrible. I “Hopefully it will go away someday because I want to live my life without pain.”
–IANS
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