By Scoop Malinowski
Juan Martin Del Potro played what most likley was his final ATP match last night at Argentina Open vs. Federico Delbonis. The score was not in his favor but the full house stadium crowd in Buenos Aires was singing to Delpo just like it was one of his finest victories.
The mightiest tennis powerhouse player we ever saw play may not be Laver, Federer, Rafa or Djokovic. No, there was only one man who could dominate and destroy Federer, Nadal and Djokovic on a tennis court. When Juan Martin Del Potro was at his best and operating in full health he could make Federer, Nadal and Novak look like sparring partners with his devastating arsenal and particularly the destructive forehand.
Now 33 and ranked 753, Del Potro is 4-16 lifetime vs Djokovic but he crushed the Serbian at his very best at the 2016 Olympics in Rio 76 76. The match was so high level and intense that BOTH players cried on court after the incredible duel ended. Until that loss, Djokovic had won the Australian Open and French Open (and 2015 Wimbledon and US Open) but lost in the third round to Sam Querrey at Wimbledon to end his 30 match Grand Slam win streak.
Delpo is 6-11 career vs Nadal but he trounced Nadal 62 62 62 at the 2009 US Open semifinal. Nadal had won the AO earlier that year. Delpo also beat Nadal at the 2016 Olympics semi 57 64 76. Delpo also beat Rafa at the US Open 2018 semi 76 62 ret.
Delpo is 7-18 career vs Federer but the biggest win of his career came vs Roger in 2009 in the US Open final. Delpo had been 0-6 lifetime vs Roger before that showdown and was considered a huge longshot to beat the world no. 1 who that year who had finaled at AO, and won both French Open and Wimbledon. Going into that final, 28 year old Federer had won 15 Grand Slams and Delpo, then age 20, was playing in his first Grand Slam final. Del Potro prevailed 36 76 46 76 62.
These were the memories, and many other golden moments, that inspired the full stadium to sing the victory celebration song last night for Juan Martin Del Potro as he served for the final time vs Delbonis. Del Potro broke down in tears as the stadium’s singing turned the sad moment into his most special triumph.
“The toughest thing to achieve is not a trophy or a ranking position, but people’s love and support. I think I achieved it. Now I just want to live in peace and be able to sleep without feeling pain in my leg.”
Del Potro leaves the sport with 22 ATP singles titles and over $25m in prize money. Other highlights: Leading Argentina to first Davis Cup title in 2016… defeating No. 1 Djokovic and Nadal en route to silver medal at 2016 Rio Olympics… beating Djokovic to win bronze medal at 2012 London Olympics… saving three championship points to defeat No. 1 Federer for his firstst ATP Masters 1000 title, 22nd title overall and 401st career win at 2018 Indian Wells.
Buenos Aires · Juan Martin Del Potro · Nike · US Open · Wilson
Scoop Malinowski · February 9, 2022 at 10:01 am
Maybe the most emotional end of a career ever. More so than Agassi, Evert, Goran, Roddick… This was something different. Delpo is one of the most likeable adored beloved champions of all time, the man did not have one enemy, fans adore him all over the globe. Gentle Giant. But so great he had the level of genius that he could destroy prime Fed, Rafa, Novak, he destroyed each. But he was always hurt or breaking down. So now he’s at the end only because of injury. Nobody kept trying harder to play again, to reach that genius level again. Despite the sadness of the tragic moment, The crowd still sang in joy and happy spirit for Delpo like he was winning again. Greatest farewell in tennis history.
Bill McGill · February 10, 2022 at 8:30 am
Feli Lopez, Andreas Seppi and Fernando Verdasco can’t be far behind.
Scoop Malinowski · February 10, 2022 at 9:37 am
Yes Lopez can’t seem to win anymore and his ranking is now outside 100 so he will have to qualify at French Open to keep his iron man streak of consecutive Grand Slam main draws alive. Verdasco just won two matches in Buenos Aires so he’s hanging in there. Sock, Gulbis, Anderson, Querrey, Robin Haase are also barely hanging on. No idea what happened to Kyle Edmund.
Scoop Malinowski · February 10, 2022 at 11:31 am
Fritz solved the Sock puzzle. Fritz played Sock at AO and US Open in 2016 and lost both in five setters both 64 in the fifth. Now Fritz has beaten Sock three times since those losses, 2018 in Houston and Lyon and last night in Dallas 61 64. The rivalry shows Fritz has progressed considerably since 2016 while since 2018 Sock has nosedived.
Scoop Malinowski · February 10, 2022 at 2:30 pm
Tsitsipas: “Enqvist is an addition to my team.” He made clear that Apostolos is still his coach and that he didn’t travel with him so that he could start working with the Swede. He still doesn’t know how often Enqvist will be with him.
Bill McGill · February 11, 2022 at 7:57 am
Kyle Edmund had knee surgery at the start of the 2021 season and didn’t play a much all year last year. It seems not to have gone as well as hoped and he had to pull out of the 2022 AO. That isn’t the explanation for the decline in his performance from 2018 to 2019/2020. I never heard a good explanation for that, though there were some (possibly incorrect) rumors of a case of mono that he was slow to recover from. His forehand was great, but he has been MIA for so long that I’m skeptical he’ll be back at the top level.
Scoop Malinowski · February 11, 2022 at 8:19 am
Edmund did not play at all last year, though a great player, he was hardly missed as he tended to be on the boring uncharasmatic side as far as personality on court.