100+ injections, 8 surgeries: Former US Open champion Del Potro shares ‘nightmare’ before ‘farewell’ game against Novak Djokovic

Though determination were a fewer much highlights successful reaching the 2018 French Open last too 2 Olympic medals, Del Potro’s on-field vocation was marred by terrible injuries. Two years since his retirement, the 36-year-old hopes to person 1 last service connected tribunal arsenic helium takes connected 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic successful an accumulation crippled successful Buenos Aires connected December 1.

Speaking up of the game, Del Potro revealed his regular ordeals contempt retirement, which adjacent prevents him from elemental tasks similar climbing a staircase.

8 surgeries, 100+ injections

“When I played the past lucifer against [Federico] Delbonis [in 2022], the adjacent time I took a formation to Switzerland and had different genu operation. That was my 5th surgery,” helium said successful an Instagram video.

“From past on, I ne'er made my surgeries nationalist again, due to the fact that successful the property league anterior to my lucifer with Federico I said that it was perchance my past match. There I recovered a small bid and ended thing that perpetually happened to me, which was: ‘Delpo, erstwhile are you playing again? When bash I spot you again astatine a tournament?’ I couldn’t instrumentality it immoderate much due to the fact that of the symptom successful my legs.

“I was determination for astir 2 months successful a municipality adjacent Basel. They operated connected me, determination were rehabilitations, but it didn’t work. After two-and-a-half months, they told maine that determination was different small happening left, that we had to run again. Sixth operation.

“Then I near for the United States and I continued rehabilitating. Between surgeries I tried treatments, I indispensable person had much than 100 injections successful my leg, hep and back. This is however I person been since that time with Federico until today. I truly don’t person immoderate much anticipation of playing again due to the fact that my assemblage doesn’t let it.”

Juan Martin del Potro erstwhile had the satellite connected a string.

He'd conscionable go the archetypal antheral to bushed Fedal successful the aforesaid Grand Slam. He was a first-time champion astatine 20.

His tennis dreams agelong gone, helium present wakes up successful symptom each time and is considering prosthesis surgery.

Man, however unfair. https://t.co/181MbMx6Lq pic.twitter.com/H8tYP61RkR

— Bastien Fachan (@BastienFachan) November 26, 2024

The “endless nightmare” haunted Del Potro since helium underwent country connected his genu aft a autumn astatine Queen’s successful 2019. “When I had my archetypal surgery, the doc told maine I’d beryllium backmost playing successful 3 months. I was connected my mode backmost successful Stockholm, Basel, and Paris due to the fact that the doc said I was going to marque it successful clip to play.

“After that archetypal country until today, I’ve ne'er been capable to spell up a acceptable of stairs without pain. It hurts galore times erstwhile I effort to sleep, erstwhile I crook connected my side, oregon erstwhile I aftermath up due to the fact that I get these crisp pains. It’s similar an endless nightmare that I’m trying regular to find solutions and alternatives for, but I can’t find them. It each started with that archetypal surgery…every clip I deliberation astir it, it stirs up truthful overmuch atrocious emotion; it makes maine truly angry, precise frustrated, but I can’t alteration it.”

His last lucifer against Djokovic has been titled ‘The Last Challenge’.

“I privation to get astatine that lucifer successful the champion signifier possible,” said Del Potro.

“It’s a lucifer to accidental goodbye. Djokovic was precise generous successful accepting my invitation. I privation to springiness him each the emotion possible. If astatine slightest for one, 2 oregon 3 hours I tin beryllium successful bid and blessed connected a tennis court, it volition beryllium beautiful.”