What few of us could believe was that Juan Martin del Potro's triumph over Roger Federer in Indian Wells this past March, in which he saved a pair of championship points to prevail 6-4, 6-7, 7-6, clinched the maiden ATP World Tour Masters 1000 title of the Argentine's 13-year pro career.
How could that be?
This was the guy, after all, who’d cracked the year-end Top 10 in 2008, infiltrated tennis’ duopoly of Rafael Nadal and Federer in ’09 (capped off by defeating both in succession en route to the US Open title), and whose 6-foot-6 ordnance included a missile of a serve and perhaps the biggest forehand in the game. Surely, he should have lifted a Masters trophy or two in that stretch. But, of course, you have to consider the Argentine’s time away from the court as much as you do his time on it.
Just as del Potro was starting to build career momentum, a right-wrist injury forced him to undergo surgery in May 2010. Though he garnered ATP Comeback Player of the Year honors the following year, and would consistently make second-week runs at the majors in 2012 and 2013, he landed back on the operating table in March 2014. This time, it was on his left wrist.
It didn’t stop there.
He was back at the Mayo Clinic in January and June of 2015, and would sit out nine consecutive Slams. It got so bad, as del Potro has openly and often spoken of, that the man nicknamed the "Tower of Tandil" began to doubt that he would ever return to the court, let alone win titles on the sport’s biggest stages.
We can only imagine how many Masters 1000 titles he might have amassed had he been healthy during that prolonged stretch. Instead, he was limited to a seemingly endless cycle of rehab sessions.
“I think it doesn't matter the final result in the tournament,” asserted del Potro during his run to the 2018 US Open final, some nine years after he raised the trophy in New York. “I just enjoy playing tennis again. I'm enjoying the crowds. I like the big battles with the other guys. That makes me feel alive again. After all my problems, I think it's time to celebrate these kinds of things. I love this sport. I love the competition. I'm very proud to be here again.”
But as much as Delpo was happy just to be back on the court again playing meaningful matches, a crowd favorite whose vocal supporters did all they could to lift him on Sunday in a closed-roof Ashe Stadium, the 29-year-old’s straight-set, 6-3, 7-6, 6-3 loss to Novak Djokovic in the men’s final was a heartbreaker, and when the match was over, the tears did flow.
Del Potro -- who last month rose to a career-high No. 3, more than eight years after becoming No. 4 -- is indeed back in the mix, regardless of this latest result against Djokovic. ESPN analyst John McEnroe went as far as to say he thinks the Del Potro of 2018 is a better all-around player than the one circa 2009.
Comparison aside, the Argentine sure appears to be making the most of what he calls his "second career." While he came up short of his second title in Flushing Meadows, he had the crowd on his side, their cheers of "Ole, Ole Ole Ole, Delpoooo, Delpoooo!" resounding in the 24,000-seat stadium. And it didn't go unnoticed.
"You can lose or win a trophy, but the love from the crowd, it could be even bigger than the tournament," he said after the match. "That's what I got from them. It will be in my heart for the rest of my life."
"He's a gentle giant," said Djokovic ahead of their title tilt, the 19th meeting dating back to the 2007 US Open (the Serb now holds a 15-4 advantage). "He really is. He's very tall, has a big game, but at the same time he nurtures the right values in life. He cares about his family. He cares about his friends. He respects everyone. He fights every match from the first to the last point. I think people can relate to that and appreciate what he brings to the tennis. He treats others the way he wants others to treat him. I think that's why people love him."
