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RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – AUGUST 14. Silver medalist Juan Martin Del Potro of Argentina waves during the medal ceremony for the men’s singles on Day 9 of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the Olympic Tennis Centre on August 14, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
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RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – AUGUST 14. Silver medalist Juan Martin Del Potro of Argentina waves during the medal ceremony for the men’s singles on Day 9 of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the Olympic Tennis Centre on August 14, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
Juan Martin del Potro left the tennis fraternity stunned when he announced that these were his last few days on the tennis courts. The former US Open champion had made a comeback to tennis after being out for over two and a half years.
He has suffered from many injuries throughout his career, but the last few years have been the worst. Injuries to his knee and wrists and subsequent surgeries kept him out of action during the past two and a half years.
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The towering Argentine made a comeback on his home soil at the Argentina Open. However, he lost in the opening round to his fellow countryman Federico Delbonis. The 33-year-old was emotional during the post-match interview. Further, 20-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic had a message for del Potro.
Reuters
Tennis – Argentina Open – Men’s Singles – Buenos Aires Lawn Tennis club, Buenos Aires, Argentina – February 9, 2022 Argentina’s Juan Martin del Potro reacts after losing his match against Argentina’s Federico Delbonis. Del Potro played his first match on the circuit since June 2019 REUTERS/Matias Baglietto
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Novak Djokovic congratulates Juan Martin del Potro on having a glorious career
The Serb took to Instagram to compliment the former World Number 3 on his illustrious career. He said, “Thank you, for all the emotions! You are so great.”
The two have been involved in some memorable matches during their rivalry on the court. Although Djokovic leads the overall head-to-head battle, del Potro has dominated the Serb at the Olympics. The Argentine defeated the 20-time Grand Slam champion at the 2012 London Olympics and the 2016 Rio Olympics.
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NEW YORK, NY – SEPTEMBER 09: Novak Djokovic of Serbia hugs Juan Martin del Potro of Argentina after their men’s Singles finals match on Day Fourteen of the 2018 US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on September 9, 2018 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
As Juan Martin del Potro bid adieu to tennis, congratulatory messages flooded in for the Argentine from the entire tennis fraternity. Meanwhile, Novak Djokovic would be looking to shrug off his disappointing start to this season as he aims to come back stronger in the coming tournaments. He will next be seen in action at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.
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