Absent from the courts for a year and a half, Juan Martin del Potro dreams of competing in the next Olympic Games, even if he increasingly talks about the idea of retirement.
Victim of a fractured patella in his right knee in June 2019 during the Queen’s grass tournament, Juan Martin del Potro has not played in competition since. Operated in June 2019 in Barcelona then in January 2020 in Miami and in August 2020 in Bern, the 32-year-old was unable to compete at the end of the season, and confessed in an interview with ESPN Argentina that he was having trouble seeing the end of the tunnel. “I have a hard time coming back, but I still have the desire to continue playing. The reality is, it is difficult. I will keep fighting for as long as I feel I want to keep going. “
Del Potro: “Retiring on a tennis court”
The winner of the 2009 US Open, who has had four wrist operations in the past, is not afraid to pronounce the word “retirement”, but clings to a dream: to compete in the Olympic Games in Tokyo next summer: “Due to the pandemic, the Olympic Games are taking place next year and I would love to be there. If I have to end my career, I think it would be a great reward to represent my country. I was told that the limit was set at three wrist operations, and luckily I did not retire. Then there was the second and third knee surgery… Now I set myself the Olympics and if I don’t achieve them, I will continue to lie to myself for the love of tennis. I want to retire on a tennis court. “
Maradona’s nocturnal confidences
In this interview, Juan Martin del Potro also mentioned the idol of his country, Diego Maradona, who died this Wednesday at the age of 60. He had met him in the 2016 final won against Croatia in Zagreb. “During this final, every evening, without anyone knowing it, we saw each other 10-15 minutes, before I went to bed, confie Del Potro. He did it in private, so it wouldn’t disturb the team. He sent me a very nice message after my win and I gave my racket. “
