Tennis legend admits he’s stuck in a ‘never-ending nightmare’ with daily pain

Tennis fable Juan Martin del Potro admits helium is stuck successful a ‘never-ending nightmare’ and is suffering from ‘terrible’ symptom each azygous day.

The Argentine erstwhile satellite No.3, who tasted Grand Slam glory with the US Open rubric successful 2009, officially ended his injury-plagued career successful 2022.

Del Potro, a fashionable subordinate connected the ATP Tour, has present opened up astir his assorted wounded problems up of an accumulation against Novak Djokovic.

The 36-year-old, who is acceptable for a one-off showdown with Djokovic successful Buenos Aires adjacent month, reveals helium has been taking painkillers daily.

‘My regular beingness isn’t what I would similar it to be,’ Del Potro, who won a full of 22 vocation titles, said successful a video posted connected Instagram.

‘I can’t play football, I can’t play padel. It’s terrible. They took [from] maine the accidental to bash what I loved the most, which was to play tennis.

‘It’s precise tough. There are moments wherever I person nary much strength. I’m not indestructible.

‘I person bully things, atrocious things but astir of the times I person to fake it and enactment a bully face, but galore times I consciousness terrible.

‘Every time erstwhile I aftermath up I person to instrumentality six oregon 7 pills. Gastric protectors, anti-inflammatories, 1 for anxiety.

‘Then the pills made maine summation value truthful they told maine to halt eating immoderate things.’

Del Potro, who reached astatine slightest the quarter-finals astatine each 4 Grand Slams crossed his career, fractured his kneecap successful a first-round conflict against Denis Shapovalov astatine Queen’s Club 5 years ago.

‘Since that moment, I was ne'er capable to ascent stairs without pain,’ Del Potro added. ‘I hurts erstwhile I drive, it hurts galore times erstwhile I spell to sleep. It’s been a never-ending nightmare.’

Del Potro did not play again professionally until his farewell lawsuit astatine the Argentina Open successful February 2022 aft his wounded astatine Queen’s successful the UK.