Juan Martin del Potro's injuries - Full history of the gentle giant's career setbacks
Juan Martin del Potro has been one of the most loved players over the last decade thanks to his humble nature and big-hitting game. Despite being plagued by injuries, the Argentinian has stayed committed to tennis over the course of a 16-year career.
With a bludgeoning forehand in his arsenal, del Potro showed the tennis universe that he was meant for greatness very early on. He won the 2009 US Open in epic fashion just before turning 21 and was touted by fans and pundits as a multiple Major winner. However, a bad omen was cast on his career soon after, as the Tower of Tandil suffered one injury after another.
Although the gentle giant remained persistent through years of bad luck, his career appears to have finally come to an end. It should be noted, however, that the Argentinian fought against the odds to prolong his injury-hit career, further burgeoning his reputation.
On that note, let's take a deep dive into the injuries that the Argentinian has suffered since turning pro in 2006.
Juan Martin del Potro's back injury at 2007 Australian Open
Del Potro began the 2007 season in style, reaching the semifinals in Adelaide. The Argentinian had cracked the top 100 the year before thanks to his results on the Challenger circuit, which meant he got direct entry into the Australian Open at the age of 18.
The Gentle Giant managed to win his first match at a Grand Slam by beating Italy's Alessio di Mauro, before retiring against eventual finalist Fernando Gonzalez in the second round. He led the hard-hitting Chilean by two sets to one, before pulling a muscle in his lower back.
The Tower of Tandil proceeded to lose the fourth set 6-4 and ultimately threw in the towel at 4-0 down in the deciding set. He was visibly upset with his injury and was unable to contain his emotions after the match.
The Argentinian, however, enjoyed considerable success as the season progressed and went on to finish the year in the top 50.
Juan Martin del Potro's back and thigh injuries in 2008
Del Potro struggled for form at the beginning of 2008 due to issues related to his physique. The Argentinian even changed his physical trainer in a bid to improve his conditioning.
He suffered a back injury during his first-round match against Andy Murray in Rome. He was ultimately forced to retire in the third set after having led Murray in the match.
He subsequently turned his fortunes around soon after, winning his first four ATP titles in consecutive weeks.
Del Potro also breached the men's top 10 for the first time in his career and recorded his maiden Grand Slam quarterfinal at the US Open, once again losing to Murray. He didn't have a great end to his breakthrough season though, withdrawing midway through the 2008 Davis Cup Finals due to a right leg injury.
Juan Martin del Potro's right wrist injury and abdominal strain in 2009
No longer just a contender, del Potro began his 2009 season in respectable fashion as he won a tune-up event in Australia before falling in the quarterfinals to Roger Federer at the Melbourne Slam. The Argentinian then beat the likes of Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray in the following months, which facilitated his entry into the top 5 of the ATP rankings.
The Tower of Tandil also managed to reach his maiden Grand Slam semifinal at Roland Garros, where he fell to Federer yet again. This match, however, inspired him to achieve greater things later in 2009; the Gentle Giant reached his maiden Masters 1000 final in Toronto, before surprising the tennis universe by beating the Swiss maestro himself to win his first Major title at the 2009 US Open.
The Argentine struggled with injuries later in the season. Playing at the inaugural Shanghai Masters, he was forced to retire in the second round against Jurgen Melzer due to a right wrist injury. He then won a few matches at the Paris Masters before retiring in the quarterfinals against Radek Stepanek due to an abdominal strain.
That, however, didn't deter the 6'6" Argentine from ending the year on a high as he finished runner-up at the 2009 ATP Finals.
Juan Martin del Potro's right wrist injury in 2010
Del Potro made a great start to his season in 2010, as he managed to crack the top 4 of the ATP rankings at the tender age of 21. The Argentinian, however, was in for a dramatic reversal of fortune as a right wrist injury surfaced during an exhibition event prior to the Australian Open.
He still played the Melbourne Slam despite his wrist niggles and managed to make it to the second week against all odds. The 2009 US Open champion was finally beaten by a fast-rising Marin Cilic in the fourth round in Melbourne, following which he called time on his season. He subsequently underwent his first wrist surgery in 2010.
The Argentinian did return to the ATP tour during the fall of 2010 but failed to win a single match due to a lack of practice, ending the year ranked at a lowly 250th in the world.
Juan Martin del Potro's shoulder and hip injury in 2011
Del Potro had to start from scratch in 2011 as his ranking tumbled to 485 in the world. He did, however, hit a rich vein of form during the American hardcourt swing as he won the 2011 Delray Beach Open, his first title since his 2009 triumph at the US Open.
The Gentle Giant re-entered the top 100 of the rankings during the clay court season in 2011, but withdrew from the Madrid Masters due to a hip injury. Del Potro then did well in the remaining three Majors of the year, losing to Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Gilles Simon respectively.
The Tower of Tandil then reached another ATP final at the Valencia Open, where he was denied by Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. His efforts at the ATP 500 tournament, however, caused him to injure his right shoulder, which subsequently forced him to withdraw from the 2011 Paris Masters.
Despite his run-ins with injury, he had a great season in 2011 as he rose from outside the top 400 to as high as 11th in the world.
Juan Martin del Potro's left wrist injury in 2012
2012 was mostly an injury-free season for del Potro, as he managed to join the elite by recording quarterfinal appearances at the Australian Open and the US Open.
The Argentinian achieved great results on hardcourts in particular, winning three of his four finals on the surface. Having lost to Federer in his first hardcourt final of the year in Rotterdam, the former US Open champion subsequently won titles in Marseille, Vienna and Basel. He even beat the Swiss maestro himself in the championship match at Basel, before reaching the semifinals at the ATP Finals (where he lost to eventual champion Djokovic).
That came at a cost, however, as it was reported that he strained his left wrist due to his hard-hitting playing style. Those reports were indeed an ominous warning, as evidenced by the second half of his career.
Juan Martin del Potro's viral infection, left knee injury and left wrist injury in 2013
He made a good start to his 2013 season as he beat the likes of Djokovic and Murray en route to a second Masters final in Indian Wells, where he lost to Nadal after having led by a set and a break. He didn't enjoy great results during the clay court swing, though, and even withdrew from Roland Garros as he suffered from a bout of viral infection.
The Gentle Giant's bad luck with injuries struck again at Wimbledon in 2013, as he hyper-extended his left knee during the first set of his quarterfinal clash against David Ferrer. The Argentinian took painkillers and was close to retiring, before willing himself on and continuing to play.
He managed to beat Ferrer in straight sets to reach the last four at Wimbledon. He then went on to have a great season on the hardcourts, cracking the top five of the year-end ATP rankings once again.
Juan Martin del Potro's left wrist injury in 2014-15
Del Potro began his 2014 season with mixed results; even though the Argentinian won yet another title in Sydney, he was upset in the second round of the Australian Open by Roberto Bautista Agut.
He then played a few more events on the ATP tour before his left wrist injury resurfaced. As fate would have it, he was reduced to tears as he retired against India's Somdev Devvarman in the Round of 32 in Dubai.
He subsequently underwent a second surgery on his left wrist, forcing him to miss the rest of the season. Although the Tower of Tandil returned in 2015, he still had pain in his left wrist and sat out most of the season. He underwent yet another surgery on his wrist that year and didn't return to the tour until February 2016.
Del Potro, however, made up for all the time he had lost by achieving some great results in his comeback season. The Argentinian went on to upset Djokovic and Nadal during the Rio Olympics, before losing to Murray in the gold medal match. He made his country proud once again in November, coming back from two sets down against Cilic for the first time in his career to ensure Argentina won their maiden Davis Cup title.
Juan Martin del Potro's left wrist injury and right knee injury in 2018
The former US Open champion had a respectable 2017 season as he finished the year ranked 11th in the world. Del Potro then caught fire in 2018, going on an absolute tear to beat top players like Alexander Zverev and Dominic Thiem to win the title in Acapulco.
He followed up his triumph at the ATP 500 tournament with his maiden Masters 1000 title in Indian Wells, saving three match points against Federer in the championship match. He then had great results at Roland Garros and Wimbledon later in the season, losing to Rafael Nadal in the semifinals and quarterfinals respectively.
The Argentinian's luck, however, ran out once again during the second half of 2018. He was forced to pull out of the Canada Masters due to a recurring left wrist injury, which had previously marred his career. He then managed to reach his second Major final at Flushing Meadows in September, losing to Djokovic in three tight sets.
He suffered his first serious knee injury in Shanghai and was forced to retire in the second set of his encounter against Borna Coric due to a fractured kneecap. The injury later forced his withdrawal from the 2018 ATP Finals and the 2019 Australian Open, and didn't allow him to defend his titles at Acapulco and Indian Wells.
Juan Martin del Potro's career-threatening right knee injury in 2019-22
Del Potro's knee injury lingered during the 2019 season. Even though the Argentinian managed to play at the Rome Masters and the French Open that year, he was nowhere near his best as he struggled physically.
During his first-round match against Denis Shapovalov at Queen's, the 6'6" giant slipped while approaching the net in the second set, which reportedly damaged his kneecap. Del Potro went on to win the match but withdrew from the tournament before his next match.
That was, indeed, the beginning of the end for the Tower of Tandil as he didn't play a competitive match until this year. He has undergone four surgeries in the last three years in a bid to improve his condition but to no avail.
The 33-year-old's knee reportedly started improving towards the tail-end of 2021 as he began training. However, that theory was shot down as he announced that he will likely be retiring after this year's South American clay court swing.
He played what may have been his last competitive match earlier on Tuesday, losing to countryman Federico Delbonis in straight sets in Buenos Aires.