Federico Delbonis doesn't want Juan Martin del Potro to retire, says he wouldn't wish on his "worst enemy" what the former USO champ is experiencing
At a press conference ahead of the 2022 Buenos Aires Open, Federico Delbonis expressed his wish for Juan Martin del Potro to keep playing on the ATP tour. Delbonis claimed he doesn't want Del Potro's "last game" to be on Tuesday, and highlighted what an unfortunate situation his countryman is facing.
"What Del Potro is experiencing, is not (something) I wish to my worst enemy," Delbonis said. "I don't want Tuesday to be his last game. I want Juan Martín to be there for a while."
At the same press conference, Delbonis also threw light on the present condition of Argentine tennis. The 31-year-old stated that the efforts being put in by his countrymen made him "super happy", but also acknowledged that the tennis infrastructure in Argentina is limited.
"I am super happy with the present of Argentine tennis," Delbonis said. "They surprise me day by day. It is incredible that players continue to come out with such a small structure that we have. The individual effort that is made is very great."
The most famous Argentine, Juan Martin del Potro, will return to the court in Buenos Aires on Tuesday, after an injury layoff of more than two years. But at a press conference on Saturday, the former US Open champion broke down in tears and hinted that this is likely to be a farewell rather than a comeback.
"I never imagined my retirement from tennis, but there was no better tournament to do it than this tournament," Del Potro said. "I want to live like a 33-year-old person, without pain."
“Nunca imaginé mi retiro del tenis, pero no había mejor torneo para hacerlo que este torneo. Quiero vivir como una persona de 33 años, sin dolores”
🗣️ Juan Martín Del Potro. https://t.co/yYKviP3XkU
Juan Martin del Potro was last seen in action at the 2019 Queen's Club Championships
Juan Martin del Potro last featured in a professional match at the Queen's Club Championships in 2019, where he suffered yet another knee injury. The former World No. 3 has undergone four knee surgeries since then, but is now finally ready to make a comeback on the court.
Del Potro's career has been largely shadowed by injuries, a total of 14 serious ones so far. But this has been the longest time the Argentine player has been out of action, dropping him to the 753rd spot in the ATP rankings.
The saddest stat in tennis = Del Potro's injury timeline
Jan-Sep 10: right wrist (8 months)
Feb-Jan 14-15: Left wrist (11 months)
Mar-Feb 15-16: left wrist (11 months)
Oct-Feb 18-19: right knee (4 months)
Feb-Apr 19: right knee (2 months)
TOTAL INJURY TIME = 36 months (3 years)
Juan Martin del Potro will square off against Federico Delbonis in the first round of the Buenos Aires Open 2022 on Tuesday, a tournament he has never triumphed at.