The story of Juan Martin del Potro It has long since become a never-ending nightmare, at least when it comes to sports. After overcoming serious injuries to both wrists, it was ultimately a fractured patella of his that ended his career. After many attempts, none of them favorable, the Argentine hung up his racket at the last ATP 250 in Buenos Aires, last February. Many months have passed, insufficient time for the Torre de Tandil to turn the page. In recent statements collected by The Sunthe pain of his speech still causes us pain.
keep looking for solutions
“Recently I went to Switzerland to see another doctor, I started a new treatment, one that was recommended to me by several professional tennis players, but so far I have not had a single positive result. Imagine how hard that feeling is after every attempt, be it treatment or surgery. The frustration I can feel when things don’t work out is hard to explain. As always, I deceive myself, I want to wait, I have faith in every new treatment I try, but every time it fails it is a very hard blow”.
problems in daily life
“This has been my reality for the last three and a half years, despite the new surgeries and treatments I tried, nothing ever happened. Today I can only walk, I can’t even run on the treadmill, I can’t walk up stairs without pain, I can’t even drive for a long time without having to stop to stretch my legs because of the pain. This is my reality, it is very hard, very sad, but I keep looking for ways to improve. My new challenge is looking for a way to live better, also psychologically, despite my problem”.
the cruelest confession
“Honestly, I cannot psychologically accept a life without tennis. I did not have a gradual transition for this, I did not prepare, I have no idea what other athletes did to live this process in peace. I was No. 3 in the world, until suddenly I broke my knees and here I am, with nothing.
Tips from other athletes
“All this time I was trying to recover, as I did with any other injury, until in Buenos Aires I said enough. Since that week in Buenos Aires I managed to find myself, but I’m still there, in that process of reflection, I still wonder what things I might like. When I talk to other athletes they tell me that it took them a couple of years to assimilate it, they tell me how they prepared. That’s what I’m doing now.”
