Juan Martin del Potro believes Novak Djokovic was “very generous” to accept an invitation to play against the Argentine in a farewell match in Buenos Aires. The two tennis icons are set to go head-to-head on Sunday in a match being billed as The Last Challenge.
Del Potro, who won the US Open in 2009, was forced to retire from tennis in 2022 after failing to overcome injury issues.
He reached world No. 3 during his playing days and secured numerous victories over legendary trio Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Djokovic.
“I want to arrive at that match in the best shape possible,” Del Potro explained in an Instagram video ahead of his showdown with Djokovic.
“It’s a match to say goodbye. Djokovic was very generous in accepting my invitation. I want to give him all the love possible. If at least for one, two or three hours I can be in peace and happy on a tennis court, it will be beautiful.”
Del Potro spoke at length about his injury issues during the 11-minute video. And he heartbreakingly admitted: “When I played the last match against [Federico] Delbonis [at the Argentina Open in February 2022], the next day I took a flight to Switzerland and had another knee operation. That was my fifth surgery.
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“From then on, I never made my surgeries public again, because in the press conference prior to my match with Federico I said that it was possibly my last match.
“There I found a little peace and ended something that constantly happened to me, which was, ‘Delpo, when are you playing again? When do I see you again at a tournament?’ I couldn’t take it anymore because of the pain in my legs.
“I thought I had to do this in a low profile, in secret, and if it works I’ll make an announcement that I’m really coming back.
“I was there for about two months in a town near Basel. They operated on me, there were rehabilitations, but it didn’t work. After two-and-a-half months, they told me that there was another little thing left, that we had to operate again. Sixth operation.
“Then I left for the United States and I continued rehabilitating. Between surgeries I tried treatments, I must have had more than 100 injections in my leg, hip and back. This is how I have been since that day with Federico until today.”
And he added: “I really don’t have any more hope of playing again because my body doesn’t allow it. It’s very hard having to put on a facade 24 hours a day, it’s very complicated.
“Sometimes I have no more energy – the leg consumes me. It consumes me emotionally because I’m not just in search of improving, but also living the day-to-day struggles.”
