 Del Potro after winning the2018 Indian Wells Masters | |
| Country (sports) |  Argentina |
|---|---|
| Residence | Tandil, Argentina |
| Born | (1988-09-23)23 September 1988 (age 37) Tandil, Argentina |
| Height | 1.98 m (6 ft 6 in) |
| Turned pro | 2005 |
| Retired | 2022 |
| Plays | Right-handed (two-handed backhand) |
| Prize money | US $25,896,046[1] |
| Singles | |
| Career record | 439–174 (71.6%) |
| Career titles | 22 |
| Highest ranking | No. 3 (13 August 2018)[2] |
| Grand Slam singles results | |
| Australian Open | QF (2009,2012) |
| French Open | SF (2009,2018) |
| Wimbledon | SF (2013) |
| US Open | W (2009) |
| Other tournaments | |
| Tour Finals | F (2009) |
| Olympic Games | F (2016) |
| Doubles | |
| Career record | 41–44 (48.2%) |
| Career titles | 1 |
| Highest ranking | No. 105 (25 May 2009) |
| Grand Slam doubles results | |
| French Open | 1R (2006,2007) |
| Wimbledon | 1R (2007,2008) |
| Team competitions | |
| Davis Cup | W (2016) |
Medal record | |
Juan Martín del Potro (Spanish pronunciation:[xwammaɾˈtindelˈpotɾo];[3] born 23 September 1988) is an Argentine former professionaltennis player.[4] He was ranked world No. 3 in men's singles by theAssociation of Tennis Professionals (ATP), in August 2018. Del Potro won 22ATP Tour-level singles titles, including amajor at the2009 US Open, where he defeatedRafael Nadal and the five-time defending championRoger Federer en route. Del Potro's other career highlights include reaching the2018 US Open final, winning an Olympic silver medal at the2016 Rio Olympics and a bronze medal at the2012 London Olympics, winningIndian Wells in2018, and leadingArgentina to the2016 Davis Cup title. Notably, his career was hampered by a succession of wrist and knee injuries.
Del Potro first entered the top 10 of theATP rankings on 6 October 2008. With his US Open win, he became the only man outside theBig Three (Nadal, Federer, andNovak Djokovic) to win a major between the2005 French Open and the2012 US Open, a span of 32 tournaments.[5] In January 2010, he reached a then-career-high ranking of world No. 4, after which he withdrew from most of the season due to an injury to his right wrist.[6][7] In 2016, del Potro led Argentina to its firstDavis Cup title by defeating Croatia'sMarin Čilić in the final from two sets down. He then reached his first major semifinal in four years by defeating Federer in the quarterfinals of the2017 US Open. In 2018, he won his first Masters 1000 title at Indian Wells, defeating the defending champion and world No. 1 Federer in the final. After reaching the semifinals of the2018 French Open, he matched his career-high ranking of No. 4, and in August 2018 he reached the world No. 3 ranking for the first time. At the 2018 US Open, he reached his second major final, where he lost to Djokovic. Del Potro did not play between June 2019 and February 2022 because of pain from a knee injury, formally retiring in 2024 after a farewell exhibition match against Djokovic.[8][9][10]
Juan Martín del Potro was born inTandil, Argentina. His father, Daniel del Potro (1957–2021), playedrugby union in Argentina and was aveterinarian.[11][12] His mother, Patricia Lucas, is a teacher, and he has a younger sister named Julieta. He also had an elder sister, who died in a car accident when she was eight years old.[13] Del Potro speaks Spanish, English and some Italian.[14]
Aside from tennis, he enjoys playing association football and supports theBoca Juniors team in Argentina andJuventus in Italy.[14] He would often dedicate time to both sports during his youth, and Argentine-Italian international footballerMauro Camoranesi, who grew up in the same town, remains a close friend of del Potro.[11]
Del Potro began playing tennis at the age of seven with coach Marcelo Gómez (who also coached Tandil-born playersJuan Mónaco,Mariano Zabaleta andMáximo González).[11] Del Potro's talent was discovered by Italian ex-tennis professionalUgo Colombini, who accompanied him through the initial phases of his young career, and is still today his agent and close friend.[15] When questioned in 2007 about his ambitions in tennis he replied, "I dream of winning a Grand Slam and the Davis Cup."[16] Despite refusing to participate in the Davis Cup several times, he has since achieved both goals.
Del Potro played his first junior match in April 2003 at the age of 14 at a Grade-2 tournament in Italy. As a junior in 2002, del Potro won theOrange Bowl 14s title, beatingMarin Čilić en route to a victory over Pavel Tchekov in the final.[17] In 2003, at the age of 14, del Potro receivedwildcards to threeITF Circuit events in Argentina, where he lost instraight sets in the first round of each.[18]
As a junior, del Potro reached as high as No. 3 in the combined ITF junior world rankings, in January 2005.[19]
In May 2004, del Potro won his first senior match, at the age of 15, at the ITF Circuit event inBuenos Aires by defeating Matias Niemiz. He then went on to lose in three sets toSebastián Decoud in the second round. Del Potro saw his world ranking rise from No. 1441 in August to No. 1077 in November.[20] He also reached the finals in the Argentina Cup andCampionati Internazionali D'Italia Junior tournaments.[21]
Del Potro reached his first final of the ITF Junior Circuit on 11 January 2005, the "Copa del Cafe (Coffee Bowl)" Junior ITF Tournament in Costa Rica, where he lost toRobin Haase in three sets. Because of the rain delays, the final set had to be played indoors; the first time theindoor courts had been used in the 44-year history of the youth tournament.[22]
At the age of 16, del Potro reached his first senior singles final at theFutures tournament in Berimbau Naucalpan, Mexico, where he lost toDarko Mađarovski. He then went on to win consecutive titles at two Future ITF Circuit events inSantiago, Chile, including the 26th International Junior tournament. In the first tournament, he beatJorge Aguilar, and in the second, he did not drop a set in the whole tournament and defeatedThiago Alves in the final, a player ranked more than 400 places higher at the time. He won his third title in his home country by defeatingDamián Patriarca, who forfeited the match, at the ITF Circuit event in Buenos Aires.[23]
Del Potro turned professional in June 2005 and in his first professional tournament, theLines Trophy Challenger tournament inReggio Emilia, he reached the semifinals, where he lost to countrymanMartín Vassallo Argüello in three sets. Two tournaments later, he reached the final of theCredicard Citi MasterCard Tennis Cup in Campos do Jordão, Brazil where he lost toAndré Sá in straight sets. After turning 17, he won theMontevideo Challenger by defeatingBoris Pašanski in the final in three sets.[23] That same year, he failed in his first attempt toqualify for his first major, at theUS Open, losing in the first round to ParaguayanRamón Delgado.[24] Throughout 2005, del Potro jumped over 900 positions to finish with a world ranking of No. 157, largely due to winning three Futures tournaments.[23][25] He was the youngest player to finish in the year-end top 200.[26]
In February, del Potro played hisfirst ATP Tour event in Viña del Mar, where he defeatedAlbert Portas, before losing toFernando González in the second round.[27] Later, seeded seventh, he won the Copa Club Campestre de Aguascalientes by defeating the likes ofDick Norman andThiago Alves, before beatingSergio Roitman in the final.[28][29]
Del Potro qualified for the main draw of his first major in the2006 French Open at the age of 17. He lost in the opening round to former French Open champion and 24th seedJuan Carlos Ferrero.[29][30] Having received a wildcard, he reached the quarterfinals of theATP event in Umag, Croatia, where he lost in three sets to the eventual champion,Stanislas Wawrinka.[31] In Spain, he participated in theOpen Castilla y León Challenger tournament held in Segovia, defeating top seedFernando Verdasco in the quarterfinals andBenjamin Becker in the final.[29][32]
Del Potro qualified for his firstUS Open in 2006, where he lost in the first round to fellow qualifierAlejandro Falla of Colombia in four sets.[33] He qualified for his firstATP Masters Series tournament in Spain, theMadrid Open, where he lost in the first round toJoachim Johansson.[29] After receiving a wild card thanks toRoger Federer, he reached the quarterfinals of the2006 Swiss Indoors in Basel, defeatinglucky loserTobias Clemens in the first round andGeorge Bastl in the second round, before losing to the eventual runner-upFernando González in three sets.[34] Del Potro finished 2006 as the youngest player in the top 100, aged 18 years, 2 months.[14]
Del Potro began the year by reaching his first semifinal inATP Adelaide, Australia, where he lost toChris Guccione, having beatenIgor Kunitsyn earlier in the day.[35][36] He then reached the second round of theAustralian Open, where he had to retire because of injury in his match against eventual finalist Fernando González in the fifth set.[16][36] In February, del Potro played for Argentina in the first round of theDavis Cupagainst Austria, winning the fourth and deciding match againstJürgen Melzer in five sets, allowing Argentina to qualify for the quarterfinals.[37]
Del Potro defeatedFeliciano López before losing to eventual semifinalistMardy Fish in the second round of the indoorRegions Morgan Keegan Championships.[38] In his next ATP Masters event, he reached the second round of thePacific Life Open, beatingGustavo Kuerten in the first round, but then losing toRichard Gasquet.[39] Del Potro went further in theMiami Open, reaching the fourth round, after he defeated three top-50 players:Jonas Björkman,Marcos Baghdatis, andMikhail Youzhny, before falling toRafael Nadal in two sets.[40] In May, he lost in the first round of theFrench Open to eventual champion Nadal.[36][41]
In his first grass-court event, del Potro beatThomas Johansson and lost to Nadal in the second round at theQueen's Club.[36][42] He also reached the quarterfinals inNottingham the following week; there he beat British qualifierJamie Baker and Kunitsyn, but lost toIvo Karlović in the quarterfinals.[43][44] At his inauguralWimbledon Championships, he defeatedDavide Sanguinetti, before losing to eventual champion Roger Federer in the second round.[45][46]
Del Potro lost toFrank Dancevic in three sets in the second round of the singles at theATP event inIndianapolis.[47] At the same event, partnered withTravis Parrott in doubles, he won his first doubles tournament, defeatingTeymuraz Gabashvili and Karlović in the final.[48] He regards this as a special victory, "It was fantastic to play doubles with Parrott. I'm so happy because I've never won a doubles tournament. For the rest of my life, I will remember this tournament."[49] Del Potro qualified for theATP Masters Series event in Cincinnati, where he reached the third round. He defeated countrymanGuillermo Cañas in the first round andPhilipp Kohlschreiber in the second, before losing to former world No. 1,Carlos Moyá.[50][51][52] At that year'sUS Open, he defeatedNicolas Mahut and Melzer, before losing to eventual finalist and third seedNovak Djokovic in the third round.[36][53] He also reached the third round of theMadrid Masters by beatingPotito Starace andTommy Robredo, before losing to eventual championDavid Nalbandian, in straight sets.[54] In the last tournament of the year, theParis Masters, he reached the second round, where he lost toNikolay Davydenko.[36] That year, del Potro was the youngest player to finish in the year-end top 50 at 19 years, 2 months.[14]
Del Potro's first half of the season was hampered by injuries and a change of coach, starting with a first-round loss inAdelaide, where he was the seventh seed.[55][56] At theAustralian Open in January, he retired againstDavid Ferrer in round two due to an injury.[57] Del Potro returned to the circuit in March, winning his first match againstJesse Levine at theMiami Open, before losing in the second round to López.[58] Struggling with injuries, his ranking fell as low as no. 81 in April. "At the start of the year, I was playing good, but I had many injuries, many problems with my body, with my physique", said del Potro. "I changed my coach, changed my physical trainer, I changed everything."[59]
In May, del Potro had to retire again, this time in a first-round match againstAndy Murray at theRome Masters. During the second set, the Argentine allegedly made derogatory comments about Murray's mother which resulted in a complaint to the umpire.[60] Del Potro's serve was subsequentlybroken three times in a row, and he suffered a back injury, which caused his retirement.[60][61] In his second major of the year, theFrench Open, he was eliminated in the second round bySimone Bolelli in four sets.[57] In June, he reached the semifinals of theRosmalen Open, losing to eventual winner and top seedDavid Ferrer in straight sets.[62] For the second year in a row, he was knocked out ofWimbledon in the second round; he beatPavel Šnobel, but lost toStanislas Wawrinka.[57]
A successful summer followed for the Argentine. In July, del Potro and his team decided to remain in Europe to test his fitness. "We decided to play on clay courts for my back because if I start to play again on hard courts, maybe I will injure it again", he recalled.[59] Del Potro won his first career ATP Tour title at theMercedes Cup in Stuttgart, defeating Gasquet in straight sets in the final.[63][64] A week later, del Potro reached his second career ATP Tour final at theAustrian Open in Kitzbühel, where he beat local hope and sixth seed Melzer in less than an hour, to claim his second title in two weeks.[65][66] Having competed in just two clay tournaments all of the 2007 season, he never thought he would win his first two titles on clay courts.[59]
In August, del Potro won his third consecutive title at theLos Angeles Open, beatingAndy Roddick in straight sets in the final.[67] After the match, Roddick praised his opponent. "[Del Potro] hits this way and this way kind of equally and he can hit it from inside out and running to it, which is a good thing for him, bad for the rest of us".[67] A fourth consecutive title followed a week later in theLegg Mason Tennis Classic in Washington, D.C., where he beatViktor Troicki, becoming the first player in ATP history to win his first four career titles in consecutive tournaments.[68][69] "I don't really understand what I did. It is difficult to believe that I have won four consecutive titles", del Potro said, crediting coachFranco Davín for his impressive run. "He changed my game. He changed my mind. He changed everything. When I play and I see him in the stands, it gives me confidence. I can play relaxed."[59]
At the2008 US Open, del Potro won his first match to five sets in the circuit againstGilles Simon to reach the round of 16.[57][70] He went on to defeat Japanese teenagerKei Nishikori in straight sets.[71] In the quarterfinals, he was stopped by eventual finalist Murray,[72] losing after almost four hours.[73] The defeat came after 23 consecutive victories: the second-longest winning streak in 2008 and the longest winning streak by a player outside the top 10 in the last 20 years.[74]
Del Potro was selected to play his first home-basedDavis Cup tie, betweenArgentina andRussia. He beat Davydenko in three sets and also won the fifth and deciding match againstIgor Andreev in straight sets, booking Argentina a place in the final.[75][76]
At theJapan Open, he made the final by defeating 11th seedJarkko Nieminen, top seed and defending champion Ferrer, and fourth seedRichard Gasquet.[77] He was defeated byTomáš Berdych in the final.[78][79] At theMadrid Masters, he lost in the quarterfinals in straight sets toRoger Federer.[80] He reached the semifinals of his next tournament, theSwiss Indoors, before losing to countryman Nalbandian.[81] He was beaten by Nalbandian again in his next tournament, in the second round of theParis Masters. Del Potro blamed fatigue for his defeat, "It's difficult to play the last tournament of the year. I was tired, my mind was in Argentina [the venue for the Davis Cup final]".[82] This left del Potro's qualification for the2008 Tennis Masters Cup out of his hands, butJo-Wilfried Tsonga beatJames Blake in the semifinals, which was enough to ensure his place at the year-end event.[83]
Del Potro won one match at the Masters Cup, against Tsonga, but lost his other two matches against the higher-ranked Djokovic and Davydenko, meaning that he exited the tournament in theround-robin stage.[84][85][86] He went on to lose one match in theDavis Cup final, against López, as his team succumbed to a 3–1 loss againstSpain.[87] He withdrew from his second match due to a thigh injury and was replaced byJosé Acasuso.[88] Nonetheless, del Potro enjoyed a successful season; winning four titles and finishing 2008 as the youngest player in the top 10,[14][27] top-ranked Argentine, and highest-ranked South American.[89]
Del Potro began his2009 season at theAuckland Open in New Zealand as the top seed.[90] He defeated AmericanSam Querrey in the final to win the title, the fifth of his career.[91] Seeded eighth at theAustralian Open, he beatMarin Čilić in the fourth round[92] before losing in straight sets to Federer.[93] AtIndian Wells, del Potro lost in the quarters to world No. 1 Nadal.[94] Del Potro avenged that loss the following week at theMiami Open, where he came back from a double break down in the third set at 0–3 to defeat Nadal in the quarterfinals.[95][96] This was the first time del Potro had defeated Nadal in five meetings.[97] Despite a loss in the semifinals to Murray,[96] del Potro reached a career-high world ranking of No. 5.[27]
In the clay-court season, del Potro was eliminated in the second round of theMonte Carlo Masters byIvan Ljubičić.[98] InRome, del Potro beatVictor Troicki and Wawrinka to advance to the quarterfinals, where he was defeated by defending champion Djokovic in straight sets. This meant del Potro's head-to-head record with the Serb was now 0–3.[96][99] At theMadrid Masters, Del Potro beat Murray for the first time in the quarterfinals,[100] but lost to Federer in the semifinals.[96] At theFrench Open, where he was fifth seed, del Potro defeatedMichaël Llodra, Troicki, Andreev, and ninth seed Tsonga en route to the quarterfinals.[101] He then defeated three-time former quarterfinalistTommy Robredo to get to his first semifinal of a Grand Slam.[102] He was defeated in a close semifinal, where he was leading by a set twice, by eventual champion Federer who, after their match, said: "[Del Potro] is young and strong, I have a lot of respect for him."[103][104] Prior to this encounter, del Potro had never taken a set from Federer in their five previous career meetings.[105]
At the2009 Wimbledon Championships, he lost to unseededLleyton Hewitt in the second round.[106] In theDavis Cup quarterfinal against theCzech Republic, del Potro won his matches againstIvo Minář and Berdych in straight sets, but Argentina still lost the tie 2–3.[107] A few weeks later, he defeated Hewitt andFernando González en route to theWashington final.[108][109] He successfully defended his title against top-seeded Wimbledon finalist Andy Roddick to win his second tournament of the year[110] and become the first player sinceAndre Agassi to win back-to-back Washington titles.[111] At theMasters 1000 inMontreal, he beat world No. 2 Nadal in the quarterfinals, his second consecutive win over Nadal.[97][112] He then defeated Roddick in the semifinals, saving a match point, to advance to his first Masters 1000 final, and to improve his head-to-head record against Roddick to 3–0.[113] In the final, he lost against Murray in three sets.[112] He later withdrew from the next Masters 1000 event inCincinnati due to fatigue.[114]
Seeded sixth at theUS Open, del Potro began by defeatingJuan Mónaco andJürgen Melzer in straight sets,[115][116] before dropping a set but defeating Köllerer to reach the fourth round.[117] He defeated a resurgent Juan Carlos Ferrero to advance to the quarterfinals for the second consecutive year.[118] Del Potro then advanced to the semifinals by defeatingMarin Čilić.[119] Del Potro was down a set and a break, before winning 17 of the final 20 games to win the match.[120] His advance to the semifinals ensured his return to the top 5 in the rankings.[121] He then crushed world No. 3 and reigning Australian Open champion Rafael Nadal in the semifinals, to reach his first Grand Slam final. This was his third consecutive victory over Nadal and made him the first Argentine to reach a Grand Slam singles final sinceMariano Puerta at the2005 French Open.[122] In the final, del Potro rallied from a set and a break down to defeat world No. 1 and five-time defending championRoger Federer in five sets; his first victory over Federer after six previous defeats,[105] and Federer's first loss in the US Open since 2003. Del Potro stated, "Since [I was] young, I dream with this and take trophy with me", said del Potro, who became the first Argentine male to win the title sinceGuillermo Vilas in 1977. "I did my dream, and it's unbelievable moment. It's amazing match, amazing people. Everything is perfect."[5] After the match, Federer praised del Potro; "I thought he hung in there and gave himself chances and, in the end, was the better man."[123]
He became the first player since countrymanDavid Nalbandian to defeat Federer at the US Open, and at 198 cm (6 ft 6 in), he is the tallest ever Grand Slam champion,[124] a record he now shares withMarin Čilić, the2014 US Open winner,[125] and2021 championDaniil Medvedev.[126] Besides Nadal and Djokovic, del Potro is the only player to defeat Federer in a Grand Slam final, and the first player to defeat both Nadal and Federer in the same Grand Slam tournament.[127][128]
Dick Enberg hosted the post-match ceremony, during which a victorious del Potro requested to address his fans in Spanish. Enberg declined the request, saying that he was running out of time, but went on to list the corporate sponsored prizes del Potro won.[129] A couple of minutes later, del Potro made the same request again, and only then did Enberg relent saying, "Very quickly, in Spanish, he wants to say hello to his friends here and in Argentina." An emotional del Potro finally spoke a few sentences in Spanish to a cheering crowd. Many viewers expressed disappointment with Enberg and broadcasterCBS over the interview.[129] A CBS executive later defended Enberg, noting that the contract with theUnited States Tennis Association required that certain sponsors receive time during the ceremony.[130] On return to his hometown Tandil, del Potro was greeted by an estimated 40,000 people.[131]
In his first match since the US Open, del Potro was upset by world No. 189,Édouard Roger-Vasselin, in straight sets at theJapan Open in Tokyo.[132] He then lost his second straight match to Melzer in the second round at the Masters 1000 event inShanghai, retiring while trailing in the second set. This retirement caused concerns over the length of the tennis season.[133] He had to retire again in theParis Masters quarterfinals when down 0–4 toRadek Štěpánek due to an abdominal injury. At theATP World Tour Finals in November, he lost his first round-robin match against Andy Murray, but he beatFernando Verdasco in his second match to keep his hopes alive. After defeatingRoger Federer in the following match, he qualified for the semifinals, ousting Murray by one game, the slimmest possible margin.[134] He defeatedRobin Söderling in the semifinals,[135][136] before losing to Nikolay Davydenko in the final.[137][138] Del Potro finished 2009 as the youngest player in the top 10, top-ranked Argentine, and highest-ranked South American for the second consecutive year.
Del Potro started his 2010 season at theAAMI Kooyong Classic in Melbourne, Australia, with a win over Croatian world No. 24Ivan Ljubičić.[139] On 11 January, he moved up to a career high world No. 4.[140] He was scheduled to face Jo-Wilfried Tsonga on day 2 of the Kooyong Classic exhibition tournament, but withdrew due to a wrist injury.[141] He came into the2010 Australian Open with the injury not healed, and took a month off after the event, where he lost in the fourth round toMarin Čilić.[142][143]
Following the Australian Open loss, del Potro missed several tournaments, including theMasters tournaments atIndian Wells andMiami, which were touted as potential return dates,[142] due to the persistent wrist injury. Even though he withdrew from theMonte-Carlo Masters, he regained the world No. 4 ranking, due to Murray's early exit in the second round.[144] He then withdrew fromBarcelona and theRome Masters. On 4 May, del Potro took the option of having an operation to fix the injury.[145] On 19 May, del Potro said he would not defend hisUS Open title, but if all went well, he would appear after the event, targeting the Paris Masters as a possible comeback.[146][147] However, on 22 July, the USTA stated that del Potro was expected to defend hisUS Open crown. The player himself confirmed that his comeback to the tour would be theThailand Open[148] and said nothing about the New York event.[149] On 2 August, del Potro returned to the practice courts.[150][151] A week before the start of the US Open, after practicing for two weeks, del Potro withdrew from the event, for he felt he was not ready to compete at the highest level.[152]
After the nine-month break, del Potro confirmed that he would make his return at theThailand Open.[153] In his return match, he lost in the first round in two sets toOlivier Rochus, despite serving 16 aces.[154] He then also played at theJapan Open, but again lost in the opening round, this time toFeliciano López.
Del Potro began his 2011 season at theSydney International as a wildcard entry.[155] In the second round, del Potro was defeated byFlorian Mayer of Germany in straight sets,[156] despite winning against sixth seedFeliciano López in three sets in the first round. His next tournament would be the first Grand Slam of the year at the2011 Australian Open, where del Potro was defeated by 21st seedMarcos Baghdatis in the second round.[157] As a result, del Potro slipped further down the rankings to No. 485.[2]
After the Australian Open, he participated in theSan Jose Open where he was accepted into the main draw via aprotected ranking (PR). He reached the semifinals without dropping a set, however he lost to top seed Fernando Verdasco, in straight sets.[158] Del Potro's next scheduled tournament was theU.S. National Indoor Championships, where he was accepted into the main draw via a wildcard, losing to top seed and eventual championAndy Roddick.[159] Del Potro entered theDelray Beach International Tennis Championships on a wildcard. He defeatedRičardas Berankis,Teymuraz Gabashvili,Kevin Anderson and second-seededMardy Fish, to advance to his first ATP final since the 2009 World Tour Finals. In the final, he defeated an erratic Janko Tipsarević in two sets.[160]
Del Potro's next tournament was the ATP Masters at theIndian Wells Masters. He reached the semifinals, where he lost to top-seededRafael Nadal in straight sets.[161][162] At theMiami Masters he defeated world No. 4,Robin Söderling, in straight sets in round three, before losing to eventual semifinalistMardy Fish in straight sets in round four.[163][164]
InEstoril Open del Potro defeated top-seededRobin Söderling, two time French Open finalist, and dropped just one set in his five matches and took the title against Fernando Verdasco in the final.[165][166] After suffering an 8-millimeter tear in his leftrectus abdominis, del Potro withdrew fromMadrid Open[167] and did not participate in theInternazionali BNL d'Italia, but confirmed that he would play theFrench Open.[168] There he lost in the third round in four sets to second-seeded Novak Djokovic.[169]
Del Potro reached the fourth round atWimbledon for the first time by defeatingFlavio Cipolla,Olivier Rochus, andGilles Simon but lost in four sets to world No. 1, Rafael Nadal, a match described by The Guardian as the "battle of walking wounded".[170] Del Potro returned to the top 20 at world No. 19 for the first time in nearly a year. His next tournament was theLos Angeles Open in late July, where he received a first-round bye as the second seed. He defeatedJames Blake but lost toErnests Gulbis in the quarterfinals.[171]
At theCanada Masters, del Potro defeatedJarkko Nieminen before losing to Marin Čilić in the second round.[172] At theCincinnati Masters tournament, del Potro lost to Roger Federer, snapping the two-match winning streak he had against his rival.[173] Del Potro entered the2011 US Open seeded 18th. He beatFilippo Volandri andDiego Junqueira before losing toGilles Simon in the third round.[174]
After the US Open, del Potro played in theDavis Cup semifinal against Serbia, winning both of his rubbers against Janko Tipsarević and world No. 1, Novak Djokovic. This helped Argentina to a 3–2 victory over Serbia, booking their place in the final.[175][176] In October he lost in the second round ofStockholm Open toJames Blake.[177] He then reached the final inVienna, losing for the first time to Tsonga.[178] Del Potro then reached the semifinals of theValencia Open 500, losing to eventual championMarcel Granollers.[179] He then withdrew from theParis Masters due to a shoulder injury, wiping out his chances of qualifying for theyear-end championships.[180]
Del Potro played in theDavis Cup final inSeville, losing the second rubber toDavid Ferrer, despite being two sets to one up, in a match lasting over five hours. With his country down 2–1, del Potro needed to beatRafael Nadal in the reverse singles to keep the tie going. Del Potro dominated the first set, but could not keep his level up and lost in four sets.[181] For the third time in six years, Argentina lost in the finals of the Davis Cup World Group, this time 3–1.[181]
Del Potro finished the year ranked world No. 11, despite being ranked no. 485 at one stage. He was named 2011 ATP Comeback Player of the Year.[182]
Del Potro's first tournament of the year was theSydney International, where he was the top seed. He made it to the quarterfinals after receiving a bye into the second round. He defeatedŁukasz Kubot in the second round. In the quarterfinals, he was beaten byMarcos Baghdatis.[183]
In the first round of theAustralian Open, del Potro defeatedAdrian Mannarino in four sets.[184] He reached the quarterfinals of the Grand Slam for the second time, losing to third-seeded Roger Federer in straight sets.[185]
AtABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament inRotterdam, he defeatedTomáš Berdych, reaching his first final of an ATP 500 level tournament or higher after returning from his wrist injury in 2010. He lost to Federer in straight sets in the final.[186][187] At the Open 13 in Marseille, del Potro defeated Davydenko, Gasquet, Tsonga,[188] andMichaël Llodra in the final to win his tenth ATP title.[189] AtDubai, he lost in the semis to Federer again in two tiebreaks.[190][191] Del Potro lost in the quarterfinals of theIndian Wells Open to Federer for the fourth time that year.[192] He made it to the fourth round of theMiami Open, but lost to David Ferrer in two sets.[193]
Del Potro started his clay-court campaign of 2012 in theDavis Cup quarterfinals against Croatia. He won his first rubber againstIvo Karlović[194] and then defeatedMarin Čilić in the reverse singles. At theEstoril Open, he was the defending champion and the top seed. He did not drop a set en route to the final, where he beat FrenchmanRichard Gasquet in straight sets to collect his 11th ATP title.[195][196] AtMadrid Masters he defeatedFlorian Mayer,Mikhail Youzhny, Marin Čilić andAlexandr Dolgopolov,[197] but lost in two tiebreaks toTomáš Berdych in the semifinals.[198]
At theFrench Open, where he was seeded ninth, Del Potro defeatedAlbert Montañés,Édouard Roger-Vasselin, Marin Čilić and seventh seed Tomáš Berdych before losing to Roger Federer in the quarterfinals in five sets, after being up two sets to love.[199]
AtWimbledon, del Potro beatRobin Haase,Go Soeda, andKei Nishikori, before losing to David Ferrer in the fourth round.[200]
At theOlympic Games, also held at theAll England Club in Wimbledon, del Potro faced Federer in the semifinals, which resulted in the longest "best of three sets" tennis match by duration in history, lasting four hours and 26 minutes; the final set took two hours and 43 minutes. Del Potro lost the match, by 17–19 in the third set.[201] Less than two hours after this marathon, del Potro took to the tennis court again withGisela Dulko for their quarterfinalmixed doubles match againstLisa Raymond andMike Bryan, which they lost.[202] Two days later, del Potro defeated Djokovic in the bronze-medal match.[203] It was del Potro's first victory over Djokovic, excluding a win that occurred in theDavis Cup where Djokovic retired after dropping the first set.[204]
Del Potro returned to hard courts to play at theRogers Cup, where he was upset by 33-year-old world No. 40Radek Štěpánek.[205] Del Potro ended the illustrious career of American tennis star Andy Roddick, retiring him by winning their fourth round match before going on to lose in the quarterfinals of theUS Open against Djokovic.[206]
In October, del Potro beat qualifierGrega Žemlja to win theErste Bank Open in Vienna. He then beat Roger Federer in a third set tie-break to win theSwiss Indoors title,[207] in Basel.[208] The following week, he suffered a third-round loss toMichaël Llodra at theBNP Paribas Masters.[209] During the round-robin stage of theATP World Tour Finals, he won two of his three matches and qualified for the semifinals, where he was defeated by Djokovic in three sets, after leading by a set and a break.[210]
He ended the year ranked world No. 7, with a 65–17 win–loss record and four titles captured throughout the season.[211]
Del Potro began his season at theAustralian Open, where he was upset in the third round byJérémy Chardy in five sets. The next month, he won theRotterdam Open, beatingGaël Monfils,Ernest Gulbis,Jarkko Nieminen,Grigor Dimitrov in the semifinals, andJulien Benneteau in the final.[212] At Dubai, del Potro beatMarcos Baghdatis, saving three match points,Somdev Devvarman, andDaniel Brands, but lost in the semifinals to eventual winner Novak Djokovic.[213] At Indian Wells in March, del Potro defeated Nikolay Davydenko,Björn Phau, andTommy Haas. In the quarterfinals, he beat Andy Murray for the second time in six matches. In the semifinals, he upset top seed and world No. 1 Djokovic, to end the Serb's streak of 22 victories.[214] He then lost in the final to Rafael Nadal in three sets.[215] Del Potro withdrew from most of the clay-court season and from theFrench Open due to a viral infection.[216]
On grass, del Potro began at theQueen's Club Championships, where he won his first comeback match in three sets againstXavier Malisse. He defeatedDaniel Evans, only to be upset in the quarterfinals byLleyton Hewitt.[217]
AtWimbledon, Del Potro won againstAlbert Ramos,Jesse Levine, andGrega Žemlja before advancing past the fourth round for the first time in his career, thanks to a win overAndreas Seppi. He then played David Ferrer and, despite slipping badly during the fifth point of the match and aggravating a pre-existing leg injury, requiring over five minutes of treatment and by his own admission being close to forfeiting the match, he recovered to defeat Ferrer in straight sets to advance to his first Grand Slam semifinal since the 2009 US Open without dropping a set. On 5 July, Djokovic defeated him in five sets in 4 hours and 44 minutes, making it at that point the longest semifinal in the history of Wimbledon men's singles.[218]
Del Potro won theWashington Open, beatingRyan Harrison,Bernard Tomic,Kevin Anderson, Tommy Haas in the semifinals andJohn Isner in the final in three sets. Before the final he didn't drop a set. This was his third title at the event and his second of the year.[219] Del Potro reached the semifinals ofCincinnati Masters where he again faced Isner and lost the match in three sets.[220] Del Potro got to the second round of theUS Open, after a four-set victory againstGuillermo García-López, only to be upset by Lleyton Hewitt in five sets.[221]
At theJapan Open, Del Potro, who entered the tournament on a wildcard, beat Marcos Baghdatis,Carlos Berlocq,Alexandr Dolgopolov,Nicolas Almagro andMilos Raonic in two sets to win his third title of the year.[222] In October, Del Potro reached the final of theShanghai Rolex Masters, defeatingPhilipp Kohlschreiber, Tommy Haas, Nicolás Almagro, and Rafael Nadal (for the first time since the semifinals of the2009 US Open) en route, but eventually losing to defending champion Djokovic in a third-set tiebreak.[223] In late October he beat sixth-seeded Roger Federer in three sets in the final of theSwiss Indoors, his fourth title of the year.[224] However, he lost to Federer in the quarterfinals of theParis Masters[225] and in a winner-take-all, round-robin clash in theATP World Tour Finals at theO2 arena in London.[226] He finished the year with a 51–16 record, winning four titles overall and prize money of $4,294,039. Del Potro was named Argentina's Sportsman of the Year.[227][228]
Del Potro began his2014 ATP World Tour season at theSydney International as the top seed, winning the final of the tournament against defending championBernard Tomic in only 53 minutes.[7] It was his fifth title as top seed.[229]
When asked to play for Argentina in the Davis Cup, del Potro declined, arguing problems with the press and the team, and his decision to prioritize his personal career.[230]
At theAustralian Open, he won his opening match againstRhyne Williams, but lost toRoberto Bautista-Agut in the second round, having led two sets to one. Despite his second-round loss, del Potro returned to being world No. 4. After the Australian Open, del Potro required treatment for his left wrist, which had been giving him trouble since 2012.[231]
In February, at the2014 Rotterdam Open, he eased pastGaël Monfils andPaul-Henri Mathieu in straight sets, but fell to LatvianErnests Gulbis in the quarterfinals.[232] In the2014 Dubai Tennis Championships, he retired againstSomdev Devvarman after losing the first set due to his wrist injury and said "It was really tough to play today. I tried everything. I cannot be the player I would like to be.".[233] The same injury led to his subsequent withdrawal from Masters 1000 series events inIndian Wells andMiami, meaning that del Potro dropped to world No. 8.[234][235]
Del Potro underwent surgery in March 2014 to repair the problem in his left wrist, missing the rest of the 2014 season.[236][237]
Del Potro began his2015 season with wrist pain and was not sure whether he would play Sydney and the2015 Australian Open. However, at the last minute he decided to play both tournaments.[238][239] He had not played a tournament since February 2014, but he started theSydney International with a straight-sets win againstSergiy Stakhovsky.[240] In the second round he defeated world No. 19 and top seedFabio Fognini to reach the quarterfinals, which he lost toMikhail Kukushkin in two tiebreakers.[241] Del Potro withdrew from the2015 Australian Open, due to his wrist injury, the day before his first match and had another surgery on his left wrist.[242][243][244] In late March Del Potro played in theMiami Open with a protected ranking and lost his first-round match toVasek Pospisil.[245] It would be his last match of the year, undergoing wrist surgery again in June 2015.[246]
He played his first tournament since undergoing surgery at theDelray Beach Open in mid February.[247] In his first competitive match in almost a year, del Potro defeatedDenis Kudla in two sets.[248][249] He followed this up with a straight sets win over AustralianJohn-Patrick Smith.[250] He defeatedJérémy Chardy in two sets in the quarterfinal, reaching his first semifinal since 2014; which he lost to eventual championSam Querrey.[251] AtIndian Wells, he beatTim Smyczek in two sets. He lost in the next round toTomas Berdych in straight sets. AtMiami Open he beatGuido Pella in two sets and was set to play Roger Federer for the first time in more than two years, but just hours before the match Federer withdrew due to a stomach virus.[252] Instead he played lucky loser and countrymanHoracio Zeballos and lost in straight sets.[253]
Del Potro then competed in his first clay-court tournament since 2013 at theBMW Open in Munich in late April. He beatDustin Brown, in two sets andJan-Lennard Struff[254] in his first three-set match of the year but lost to Philipp Kohlschreiber in the quarterfinals in straight sets. AtMadrid Open he had his best victory after coming back on the tour, defeating 14th seedDominic Thiem in straight sets but lost his next match toJack Sock in two sets.[255] AtStuttgart Open, his first grass tournament since the2013 Wimbledon Championships, he beat Grigor Dimitrov in straight sets,John Millman in two sets andGilles Simon in three sets, before losing to Kohlschreiber in straight sets in the semis.[256]
AtWimbledon he beatStephane Robert andStanislas Wawrinka (in four sets).[257] Del Potro then lost in an ill-tempered four-set match against 32nd seedLucas Pouille in the third round.[258]
In the2016 Olympic Games, held at theOlympic Tennis Centre in Rio de Janeiro, del Potro defeated top seed and world No. 1, Novak Djokovic, in the first round, winning two tiebreaks.[259][260] It was a significant win for him because he was ranked no. 145 in the world and was coming back from an injury. He also defeatedJoão Sousa,Taro Daniel in three sets and top-20 player Bautista Agut to guarantee a medal match. He played 2008 gold medalist and the 2016 doubles gold medalist, Rafael Nadal. He defeated him in three tight sets to guarantee a medal. Del Potro played in his first gold medal match against the reigning Wimbledon champion from the previous month, Andy Murray and lost in four grueling sets in over four hours.[261][262] However, del Potro said after beating Nadal "I already won silver, that's good enough for me."
At theUS Open Del Potro's ranking of No. 141 was not sufficient to gain direct entry into the main draw but he was granted a wild card.[263][264] He beat countrymanDiego Schwartzman in straight sets, 19th seed and top-ranked AmericanSteve Johnson in straight sets,[265] 11th seed and Grand Slam finalist David Ferrer in straight sets and eighth seed Dominic Thiem (when Thiem retired during the second set). Del Potro then lost to eventual champion Stan Wawrinka in the quarterfinals in four sets.[266]
Del Potro then played against Murray, in a rematch of the Olympic final, in theDavis Cup semifinal, held inGlasgow. Del Potro won the thrilling five-set match in 5 hours and 7 minutes.[267][268] Del Potro was granted a wildcard for theShanghai Masters in October, where he lost in the first round in three sets to 11th seedDavid Goffin, despite being a set and a break up.[269] Del Potro was given a wild card into theStockholm Open and beat John Isner, Nicolas Almagro,Ivo Karlovic, Grigor Dimitrov and Jack Sock to win his first title since his return from injury.[270] Del Potro then played at theSwiss Indoors, where he comfortably beat qualifierRobin Haase in the first round. He then got revenge on Goffin in a straight sets win, before falling in two tight sets toKei Nishikori in the quarterfinals.[271]
Vying for Argentina's first title, del Potro played in the2016 Davis Cup against Croatia. His first match was a four set victory against Ivo Karlović. PartneringLeonardo Mayer, del Potro lost in doubles againstIvan Dodig and Marin Čilić. 2–1 down in matches, del Potro played in singles against Čilić, coming back from two sets down for the first time in his career to win in five sets. Described as one of the best Davis Cup comebacks ever, del Potro levelled the score at 2–2, paving the way forFederico Delbonis to complete the comeback by beating Ivo Karlović, in straight sets, thus claiming Argentina's first ever Davis Cup title.[272][273]
For the second time in his career, after 2011, del Potro was named ATP Comeback Player of the Year.[274]
Del Potro decided to skip the2017 Australian Open and made his season debut at theDelray Beach Open, where he was seeded in a tournament for the first time in three years, at No. 7, and won his first three matches againstKevin Anderson,Damir Dzumhur andSam Querrey. However, in the semifinals, del Potro lost to top seed and world No. 4Milos Raonic in straight sets.[275] Next, del Potro played in theMexican Open, where he was drawn to play qualifierFrances Tiafoe, who idolised del Potro when he was a child. Del Potro won in a tight three-set match.[276][277] In the next round, del Potro lost in three sets to Djokovic after winning the first set.[278]
At theIndian Wells Masters he beat his ArgentineDavis Cup teammateFederico Delbonis in two tight sets before losing to Djokovic in three sets.[279] At theMiami Open, he had a comfortable victory over Robin Haase before losing to Roger Federer in straight sets.[280] Del Potro began his clay-court season at theEstoril Open, where he beatYuichi Sugita for the loss of just four games in the first round, but withdrew the next day after he heard that his grandfather had died.[281] Del Potro withdrew from theMadrid Open, reappearing at theItalian Open where he reached the quarterfinals of a Masters 1000 tournament for the first time since the2013 Paris Masters, following victories over 10th seed Grigor Dimitrov,[282]Kyle Edmund[283] and seventh seedKei Nishikori,[284][285] which was his first victory in 2017 over a top 10 ranked player. However, he succumbed yet again to world No. 2, Novak Djokovic, in a rain-interrupted straight sets match.[286]
In May atLyon Open, del Potro defeated lucky loserQuentin Halys, but lost in the next round against Portuguese qualifierGastão Elias in straight sets. Doubt was cast over his participation at theFrench Open because of a back injury that had hampered him at Lyon, but he eventually decided to partake in the event.[287][288][289] Del Potro entered the event after a five-year absence as the 29th seed, the first time since the2014 Australian Open that he was seeded at a Grand Slam tournament. In the first round he defeatedGuido Pella in straight sets,[290] and in the second round against Nicolás Almagro, it was one set apiece before Almagro retired. Del Potro eventually fell in straight sets to top seed Andy Murray in the third round.[291]
After suffering a second round exit at Wimbledon in straight sets againstErnests Gulbis,[292][293] Del Potro began his summer North American hardcourt season inWashington, where he lost to Kei Nishikori in the third round, ending his 15-match winning streak at the event.[294] He then lost in two sets toDenis Shapovalov in the second round at theCanadian Open in Montreal,[295] and at theCincinnati Masters he won againstTomáš Berdych[296] in the first round and qualifierMitchell Krueger in the second before losing to eventual champion Grigor Dimitrov in the third round.[297]
At the US Open, Del Potro defeatedHenri Laaksonen,Adrián Menéndez-Maceiras and Roberto Bautista Agut in straight sets. He began his fourth round match against Dominic Thiem struggling, falling two sets behind. However, he then raised his level and, with the help of the crowd, eventually prevailed in five sets, saving two match points in the fourth set with two aces. In the post match interview he admitted he considered retiring from the match during the second set.[298]
The US Open account on Instagram switched his racquet for Thor's hammer using software editing tools,[299] which created a new nickname for the Argentine: Juan Martin "del Thortro", by fellow tennis playerRoger Federer, adding to a collection of nicknames such as "Delpo", "Tower of Tandil", "Palito" (stick) and "Enano" (midget).[300] In the quarterfinals he defeated Roger Federer in four tight sets; his second victory over the Swiss at the US Open, having beaten him in the final in 2009.[301] By doing so he reached his first major semifinal since Wimbledon 2013. His run came to an end in four sets, losing to world No. 1, Rafael Nadal.[302]
Del Potro began his Asian hard court swing inBeijing, where he lost in straight sets to Grigor Dimitrov in the second round, his second loss against the Bulgarian.[303][304] This was followed by theShanghai Masters, where he reached the semifinals of a Masters 1000 event for the first time since 2013 (also in Shanghai), most notably upsettingAlexander Zverev in the third round, his second triumph over a Top 5 ranked opponent after his victory over Roger Federer at theUS Open. Del Potro won the first set but eventually lost in the semifinals against Federer, who would go on to win the tournament.[305]
Del Potro defended his 2016 Stockholm Open title by defeating Grigor Dimitrov in the finals of the 2017 Stockholm Open in straight sets.[306] This victory gave Del Potro his 20th ATP career title. He then reached the final ofBasel, where he faced Federer and again lost in three sets after winning the first.[307] Del Potro then made it to the quarterfinals of theParis Masters, where he was one win away from entering the top 10 and qualifying for theATP Finals, which would have been his first time since 2013 participating in the year-end tournament. However, he was defeated in three sets byJohn Isner and subsequently declined to be chosen as an alternate for the tournament, instead choosing to rest with his family and friends in his nativeTandil.[308] Nevertheless, Del Potro won 730 points in a span of three weeks and reached the 11th spot of theATP rankings.
Del Potro started the season at theASB Classic in New Zealand, where he beat Denis Shapovalov to return to the top 10 of the ATP rankings for the first time since August 2014.[309][310] Del Potro then defeatedKaren Khachanov and David Ferrer en route to the final, where he lost to Roberto Bautista Agut in three sets.[311]At theAustralian Open he lost in the third round againstTomáš Berdych.[312] At theDelray Beach Open he was seeded second but lost in the second round to eventual championFrances Tiafoe.[313] He then won theAcapulco Open, defeatingKevin Anderson in straight sets to obtain his 21st title, and his biggest title since2013 Swiss Indoors.[314]
His winning streak would not stop there, however, as he went on to win theIndian Wells Open, the firstMasters 1000 tournament of his career, beating teenagerAlex De Minaur, veteran David Ferrer, compatriotLeonardo Mayer, Philipp Kohlschreiber, Milos Raonic and reigning champion and world No. 1, Roger Federer in the final. Del Potro prevailed in three sets despite Federer serving for the match in the decider and holding three championship points.[315][316] This was del Potro's biggest achievement in the ATP Tour after the2009 US Open.[317]
Del Potro continued his successful run at theMiami Open, beating Robin Haase, Kei Nishikori andFilip Krajinović, before prevailing in a grueling match against Milos Raonic, reaching the semifinals.[318] His 15-match win streak ended as he was defeated by eventual champion John Isner.[319][320][321]
Del Potro returned to the courts in early May for the clay court season, although his first results were lackluster. After starting theMadrid Open with a solid victory against BosnianDamir Džumhur in the second round, he was upset by qualifierDušan Lajović in three sets.[322] In his next tournament inRome, del Potro defeated rising starStefanos Tsitsipas before retiring against David Goffin in the next round due to a groin injury.[323] His participation at theFrench Open was in doubt but he recovered in time and entered the tournament as the fifth seed.[324] Following victories against French playersNicolas Mahut andJulien Benneteau, he defeated 31st seedAlbert Ramos Viñolas and world No. 10, John Isner, en route to a quarterfinal clash against world No. 4 and frequent rival, Marin Čilić. After an intense match, in which he had an argument with a fan who supposedly heckled him, Del Potro defeated Čilić in four sets and reached the semifinals, the first time since2009.[325] He then lost to ten-times French Open champion Rafael Nadal in straight sets.[326] His run to the semifinals ensured that, for the first time since February 2014, Del Potro would return to his career-best ranking of world No. 4.[327]
At Wimbledon, Del Potro defeatedPeter Gojowczyk,Feliciano Lopez andBenoît Paire, before a long four set win over 2 days againstGilles Simon.[327] World No. 1 Rafael Nadal defeated him in five sets in the quarters after del Potro had led two sets to one.[328] Del Potro then competed at theLos Cabos Open, where he reached the final but lost to second-seededFabio Fognini in straight sets.[329][330] Del Potro moved up to a new career-high ranking of world No. 3 as of the week of 13 August.[331] Del Potro was seeded fourth atCincinnati, defeatingChung Hyeon andNick Kyrgios before falling to David Goffin in the quarterfinals.[332]
Entering theUS Open seeded third, del Potro reached the quarterfinals without dropping a set, defeatingDonald Young,Denis Kudla, 31st seed Fernando Verdasco, and 20th seedBorna Ćorić. He then faced 11th seed John Isner, defeating him in four sets to reach his second consecutive US Open semifinal, where he faced top seed and defending champion Rafael Nadal in a rematch of the previous year's semifinal. Nadal retired from the match due to a knee injury after del Potro took the first two sets.[333] With this victory, del Potro advanced to his second Grand Slam final, nine years after his2009 US Open triumph. He was defeated by two-time champion Novak Djokovic in three straight sets.[334][335]
Del Potro entered theChina Open in October as the top seed. He defeatedAlbert Ramos Viñolas, Karen Khachanov,Filip Krajinović, and reached the final without dropping a set afterFabio Fognini withdrew before the semifinal. He faced unseededNikoloz Basilashvili in the final, losing in two sets.[336][337] He then competed in theShanghai Masters seeded third. He defeatedRichard Gasquet and faced 13th seed Borna Ćorić in the third round, narrowly dropping the first set before he retired due to a knee injury.[338][339] This injury forced his withdrawal from the rest of the season, including theATP Finals, for which he had qualified for the first time since 2013.[340][341]
Del Potro's injury lingered into the2019 season, forcing him to withdraw from theAustralian Open. He made his comeback at theDelray Beach Open in February where he reached the quarterfinals, losing toMackenzie McDonald in three sets.[342] Still not having recovered from injury, Del Potro chose not to defend his titles inAcapulco andIndian Wells, withdrawing from both tournaments. Playing in his first tournament back at theMadrid Open, del Potro lost his first match toLaslo Djere.[343] He then played in Rome and secured wins against David Goffin, who had a 3–1 lead over him before the match, andCasper Ruud. He failed to convert two match points in a second set tiebreaker to ultimately lose his quarterfinal against world No. 1 Novak Djokovic over a three-hour match.[344][345]
At the2019 French Open, del Potro was seeded eighth. After wins in the first three rounds againstNicolás Jarry,Yoshihito Nishioka andJordan Thompson respectively he lost in the fourth round to tenth-seededKaren Khachanov in four sets.[346] In his first grass-court tournament of the season atQueen's Club, del Potro suffered another career-threatening injury when he fractured his kneecap in his first round match againstDenis Shapovalov.[347]
Del Potro did not play any professional tennis from June 2019 at Queen's Club until 2022 at the Argentina Open. He underwent four right knee surgeries (June 2019, January 2020, August 2020 and March 2021)[348][349] and withdrew from theTokyo Olympics in July 2021.[350] At the2021 US Open, del Potro reported that his knee was getting better, he had picked up training on the court again and hoped to be ready to play on the tour within a couple of months.[351]
On 31 January, it was announced that Del Potro will make his return to professional tennis at the Argentina Open, where he accepted a wildcard. He also accepted a wildcard to play the Rio Open.[352]
On 5 February, Del Potro stated in a press conference that he would likely retire after theArgentina Open. He cited ongoing knee pain due to an injury as a reason behind the potential retirement, and said that his return is "maybe more of a farewell than a comeback".[353] Del Potro lost in the first round of the Argentina Open toFederico Delbonis, and again hinted at retirement in the post-match interview.[354] He withdrew from the2022 Rio Open on 11 February.[355] Del Potro has not played any matches since; he dropped out of the singles rankings on 20 June, as well as the doubles rankings on 9 May.[356]
In March, he stated that he would begin training for a potential return at the 2023 US Open.[357][358] In August, he announced that he would not be able to compete in the tournament, due to his physical state.[359][360]
Del Potro took part in a farewell exhibition match titled 'The Last Challenge' against Novak Djokovic in Buenos Aires on 1 December 2024. In front of 15,000 spectators, he won in straight sets.[361][362][363]
Del Potro is anoffensive baseliner with a very powerfulserve and heavygroundstrokes,[364][365] using his notably powerful forehand to push his opponents deep into or off the court. Hisforehand is one of his main strengths and is one the most powerful in the game, capable of frequently generating speeds more than 160 km/h.[366] It is widely considered among the top three best forehands on tour by fellow players and analysts, alongsideRoger Federer andRafael Nadal.[367][368][369][370]
Although he possessed a very consistent and powerful double-handedbackhand,[371] injury and surgeries on his wrist have rendered his backhand the main weakness in his game. Since his return in 2016, del Potro made tactical changes in his game in order to protect his wrist, like significantly reducing the pace of his two-hander and adopting a one-handed slice.[372] Despite del Potro admitting that relying on slices is "not my game,"[372] the shot has been effective in moving his opponents out of position and slowing down rallies enough to allow him to set up powerful offensive shots with his forehand.[373] Furthermore, to compensate for the newfound vulnerability in his backhand wing, del Potro has improved the power and accuracy of his other shots, most notably his serve.[374]
Del Potro used theWilson Hyper ProStaff 6.1 Midplus Stretch early on in his career, and has continued to use this racquet under new paint jobs years later. Del Potro is very superstitious, and after suffering a wrist injury shortly after switching to theWilson BLX Pro Tour paint job in 2010, he returned to playing with the then outdatedWilson K-Factor 6.1 95 paint job.[375] He particularly favored the exact racquets he had used to win his only Grand Slam title at the 2009US Open. He again refused to update his racquet to theWilson BLX Juice Pro in 2012, and in 2014 had only a few K-Factor racquets left.[376] He makes use of the same racket painted to resemble the Wilson ProStaff 97. For strings, he uses Luxilon ALU Power strung at 58 lbs.[377]
His clothing sponsor isNike. He used to wear sleeveless shirts, but more recently has worn crew shirts, and often also sports double-widewristbands and abandana. For shoes, he wears Nike Air Max Cages.[14]
Del Potro has a combined 20–51 record against all members of theBig Four, which is one of the best in this category. He is also one of the few to have won at least three matches against each of the four.
Del Potro has a 7–18 record againstRoger Federer, and a 4–2 record in finals.[378] Besides the2009 US Open title, del Potro also captured the2012 and 2013 Swiss Indoors finals and the2018 Indian Wells final, while Federer won the2012 Rotterdam Open and the2017 Basel Open. Federer won their five-set meeting at the2009 French Open semifinals, and the longest best-of-three-set match in history at the2012 Olympic semifinal, 19–17 in the deciding set. Del Potro prevailed in the2017 US Open quarterfinals against Federer in four sets.[378]
Del Potro has a 4–16 record againstNovak Djokovic.[379] Djokovic won their first four meetings, before back to back victories for del Potro at the 2011 Davis Cup and their bronze medal match at the2012 Summer Olympics in straight sets. In2013 Djokovic won an epic five-setter at the2013 Wimbledon Championships semifinals and a three-setter at the2013 Shanghai Masters final, while del Potro defeated Djokovic en route to his secondMasters 1000 final, at the2013 Indian Wells Masters. Del Potro upset Djokovic in the first round at the2016 Rio Olympics en route to the silver medal. Djokovic defeated Del Potro in three close sets in the final of the2018 US Open, which was the first grand slam final for Del Potro since his victory at the2009 US Open. Three of his four victories have come via national representation tournaments.[379]
Del Potro has a 6–11 record againstRafael Nadal.[380] He bested Nadal in the semifinals en route to his2009 US Open title, which was the first time a player managed to beat both Roger Federer and Nadal in the same Grand Slam tournament (Novak Djokovic subsequently did the same at the 2011 US Open). However, the Spaniard managed to win both times in theIndian Wells Masters encounters, in the2011 semifinal and the2013 final. Nadal also won the fourth and last rubber of the2011 Davis Cup final against the Argentine. Del Potro gained the upper hand at the2013 Shanghai Masters, defeating Nadal to reach the final where he lost to Djokovic. Del Potro defeated Nadal in a third set tiebreak in the semifinal of the2016 Olympics inRio de Janeiro,[381] while Nadal stopped Del Potro's 2017 US Open run, defeating him in a four-set semifinal. In the quarterfinals of2018 Wimbledon, Nadal came from two sets to one down to defeat Del Potro in an epic five-set match. In their last meeting, Del Potro advanced to the final of the2018 US Open when Nadal had to retire, while trailing by two sets to love.[333]
Del Potro has a 3–7 record againstAndy Murray.[382] They only played two finals. The first was in the2009 Rogers Cup, which was won by Murray. However, when del Potro beat Murray in the quarterfinals of the2013 BNP Paribas Open, del Potro won against all members of the Big Four in 2013. In their second final, del Potro lost to Murray in the2016 Summer Olympics.[383] However, during Argentina's Davis Cup semi-final tie against Great Britain, del Potro got revenge by beating Andy Murray in a five-set thriller that was, for each man, the longest match of his career.
Del Potro dated singerJimena Barón from April 2017 until February 2018.[384] Del Potro dated model Sofia Jimenez from December 2018[385] until their breakup in May 2020.[386]
In 2022, it was revealed that Daniel del Potro (Juan Martín's late father) had misappropriated US$30 million of his son's career earnings while managing his financial affairs.[387] A documentary based on his life was directed byRodolfo Lamboglia.[388]
In May 2013 del Potro metPope Francis, a fellow Argentine, after mass at the Vatican in Rome and described it as an incredible experience which he would never forget.[389][390] He is aRoman Catholic.[13]
| W | F | SF | QF | #R | RR | Q# | DNQ | A | NH |
| Tournament | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | SR | W–L | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australian Open | A | A | 2R | 2R | QF | 4R | 2R | QF | 3R | 2R | A | A | A | 3R | A | 0 / 9 | 19–9 | 68% |
| French Open | A | 1R | 1R | 2R | SF | A | 3R | QF | A | A | A | A | 3R | SF | 4R | 0 / 9 | 22–9 | 71% |
| Wimbledon | A | A | 2R | 2R | 2R | A | 4R | 4R | SF | A | A | 3R | 2R | QF | A | 0 / 9 | 21–9 | 70% |
| US Open | Q1 | 1R | 3R | QF | W | A | 3R | QF | 2R | A | A | QF | SF | F | A | 1 / 10 | 35–9 | 80% |
| Win–loss | 0–0 | 0–2 | 4–4 | 7–4 | 17–3 | 3–1 | 8–4 | 15–4 | 8–3 | 1–1 | 0–0 | 6–2 | 8–3 | 17–4 | 3–1 | 1 / 37 | 97–36 | 73% |
| Result | Year | Championship | Surface | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 2009 | US Open | Hard |  Roger Federer | 3–6, 7–6(7–5), 4–6, 7–6(7–4), 6–2 |
| Loss | 2018 | US Open | Hard |  Novak Djokovic | 3–6, 6–7(4–7), 3–6 |
| Result | Year | Championship | Surface | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 2016 | Summer Olympics, Rio de Janeiro | Hard |  Andy Murray | 5–7, 6–4, 2–6, 5–7 |
| Result | Year | Championship | Surface | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 2009 | ATP World Tour Finals, UK | Hard (i) |  Nikolay Davydenko | 3–6, 4–6 |
| Result | Year | Tournament | Surface | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 2009 | Canadian Open | Hard | Andy Murray | 7–6(7–4), 6–7(3–7), 1–6 |
| Loss | 2013 | Indian Wells Masters | Hard |  Rafael Nadal | 6–4, 3–6, 4–6 |
| Loss | 2013 | Shanghai Masters | Hard | Novak Djokovic | 1–6, 6–3, 6–7(3–7) |
| Win | 2018 | Indian Wells Masters | Hard | Roger Federer | 6–4, 6–7(8–10), 7–6(7–2) |
I'm No. 4 in the world, which is my highest ranking in my career.
| Awards | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Olimpia de Oro 2009 2016 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | ATP Comeback Player of the Year 2011 2016 | Succeeded by |
