In pictures: Juan Martin del Potro's emotional farewell at Argentina Open 2022
Juan Martin del Potro bid an emotional farewell on Tuesday to the thousands of fans who flocked to watch him in action for possibly the last time. The former US Open champion drowned in a sea of tears and applause from his home crowd as he exited the Argentina Open following a loss to Federico Delbonis.
Days after an emotional press conference in which he revealed he was thinking about retirement, the 33-year-old geared up for possibly the last match of his career.
Del Potro had beaten Delbonis in their only previous encounter, but the 'Tower of Tandil' fell to a straight-sets defeat at the hands of the sixth seed this time around.
At 3-5 in the second set, the former US Open winner prepared to serve to stay in the match. The spectators, who had been cheering for every point he won with gusto, raised the roof when they realized it could be the final service game of his career.
An emotional moment for everyone watching 😢
@delpotrojuan #ArgentinaOpen https://t.co/eK4W6NhrQV
An overwhelmed del Potro could not hold back his tears. He eventually regained his composure and managed to serve, but failed to win the game.
The best moment of the night came at the end of the match. After embracing Delbonis and waving to the crowd to show his appreciation, del Potro took off his iconic Nike headband and placed it on the net.
Juan MartÃn del Potro's last time on a tennis court. He leaves his headband in the net...😓 https://t.co/yXKyMxzqoB
An evening that was already emotionally charged was made even more incredible by the presence of an unlikely face in the stands -- the 33-year-old's mother Patricia del Potro.
Patricia had never watched her son in action before, but did not want to miss what was possibly his last hurrah. After the match, she consoled the former World No. 3 with a warm hug, as he cried uncontrollably into her shoulders.
Juan Martin del Potro has a wildcard for the Rio Open
There has been no official confirmation that the Argentina Open marks the end of Juan Martin del Potro's career. The Argentinian has already been granted a wildcard for the Rio Open, which is scheduled to take place between February 14-20.
Del Potro's comments at the press conference after the match, however, seem to indicate that he will not be competing in the ATP 500 event. Although he did not rule out a possible return to the sport in the future, the 33-year-old remarked that all he wanted at the moment was to let his knee fully recover.
"Today is a full stop but I am going to leave the window open for tennis because what I experienced tonight is unforgettable," del Potro said. "What is clear is, whether or not I play in Rio, I am going to take a break to let my knee recover."