"Thank you Juan Martin del Potro for all of the emotions, you are just so great"- Novak Djokovic
World No. 1 Novak Djokovic recently paid tribute to Juan Martin del Potro, who is considering an imminent retirement from tennis. The Serb hailed del Potro as a "great" player and praised him for the emotions he evoked among fans and other players every time he stepped out on court.
The Argentine played what was possibly his last match at the Argentina Open on Tuesday. The former US Open champion lost to Federico Delbonis in straight sets in the first round in Buenos Aires.
Del Potro broke down in tears during the closing stages of the match after hearing the support he received from the home crowd.
Following the Argentine's loss, Djokovic took to Instagram to leave his good friend a message.
"Thank you Juan Martin del Potro for all of the emotions, you are just so great," Novak Djokovic wrote on his Instagram story.
Juan Martin del Potro breaks down in tears as he serves for the last time in his career at the Argentina Open.
"Ole, ole, ole, ole, Delpo, Delpo."
🇦🇷
https://t.co/pSjUEHdHrU
Djokovic and del Potro had many great battles on the court. The Serb leads the head-to-head 16-4, but the Argentine won important matches at the Olympics in 2012 and 2016.
Novak Djokovic will kick off his 2022 season at the Dubai Tennis Championships
Following his visa saga in Melbourne, which denied him the chance to defend his title at the Australian Open, Djokovic will kick off his season at the Dubai Tennis Championships. The ATP 500 tournament begins on 21 February.
Novak Djokovic will return in the Dubai ATP 500. In 3.5 weeks. https://t.co/F52RCZmk0r
The World No. 1 has won the tournament on five occasions, most recently in 2020 when he defeated Stefanos Tsitsipas in the final. He did not defend his title last year.
The Serb was also the runner-up once, losing to Roger Federer in straight sets in 2015.
The number of different tournaments with at least five ATP titles:
Roger Federer - 9 (Halle, Basel, Wimbledon, Dubai, Cincinnati, ATP Finals, Australian Open, US Open, Indian Wells)
Novak Djokovic - 8 (AO, Beijing, Miami, ATP Finals, Wimbledon Indian Wells, Paris, Dubai)
Along with Djokovic, Jannik Sinner, Andrey Rublev, Aslan Karatsev, and Felix Auger-Aliassime are expected to play in the tournament.