On September 14, 2009, Juan Martín del Potro defeated Roger Federer 3-6, 7-6 (5), 4-6, 7-6 (4), 6-2 in the US Open final, capturing his first career Grand Slam title and securing what remains a historic milestone for Argentine tennis. According to match records, the victory also marked the last time a Grand Slam was won by a player outside of Europe.
The Path Through Flushing Meadows
Del Potro’s championship run in New York required navigating a draw filled with competition. In the opening round, the Argentine defeated compatriot Juan Mónaco 6-3, 6-3, 6-1. Subsequent victories over Austria’s Jürgen Melzer and Daniel Köllerer set up a fourth-round clash where Del Potro defeated former world number one Juan Carlos Ferrero in straight sets, 6-3, 6-3, 6-3, as reported by tournament archives.
The quarterfinal round presented a test against future Grand Slam champion Marin Čilić. After dropping the opening set, Del Potro rallied to win 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-1. That earned him a semifinal showdown with third-seeded Rafael Nadal. Having won their previous two meetings that season, Del Potro delivered a dominant performance, dismissing the Spaniard in three identical sets of 6-3 to reach the championship match.
Conquering the Five-Set Final Against Federer
Entering the September 14 final, the odds favored the world number one Federer, who was champion of the US Open in the last five consecutive years and held a 6-0 career head-to-head advantage over Del Potro, including three losses earlier that season. True to form, Federer took the opening set 6-3.
The match turned on razor-thin margins in the subsequent frames. Del Potro captured the second set in a tiebreak 7-5, though Federer reclaimed the upper hand by taking the third set to move within one set of the trophy. Refusing to yield, the 20-year-old Argentine forced another tiebreak in the fourth, utilizing his explosive forehand to level the match.
In the fifth and decisive set, Del Potro overwhelmed the world number one physically and tactically, conceding just two games to seal the 6-2 set win. At just 20 years of age, the player known as the “Tower of Tandil” hoisted the trophy, ending a period of Grand Slam winners that has persisted in the years since.
Historical Context and Subsequent Eras
Historical records show that Del Potro’s 2009 triumph stands as a dividing line in modern men’s tennis. While players such as Kei Nishikori in 2014, Del Potro himself in 2018, Taylor Fritz in 2024, and Ben Shelton have reached major finals, every subsequent Grand Slam singles title since September 2009 has been claimed by European competitors.
Del Potro’s victory remains celebrated across South America as one of the sport’s most important triumphs.
