Juan Martin Del Potro has spoken about the future of tennis as well as Rafael Nadal’s pending retirement.
The Argentinian retired in 2022 when he played his last match against Federico Delbonis in Buenos Aires with Del Potro struggling with a knee injury during his last tournaments.
Del Potro spoke about competing against ‘the big four,’ expectations while playing on the tour and having no regrets over his last match, “Having won a Grand Slam in the best of the big three has special value,” Del Potro told Punto De Break.
“Now that speaks of the big three but between us we always talked about the fantastic four because Andy Murray has always been the closes to the best in all of history. Any victory against them was of impressive value.
“Having won a Grand Slam may sound little, but it’s not. Playing quarters and semis against the best gives me the peace of mind that, despite not having achieved big tournaments, I always fought them and that’s enough for me.”
Having experienced big success in the sport, Del Potro knows how tough it is physically to stay at the top.
Also the Argentinian knows how hard it is to retire on your own terms and that’s a dilemma that Rafael Nadal faces as the Spaniard is set to end his illustrious career this season.
Del Potro discussed Nadal’s impending retirement as well as some of the memories he had on the court against the Spaniard, “I think we have to start assimilating that a tennis stage is going to end. Roger is no longer there, but his legacy was very marked forever. And now Nadal is giving himself the pleasure of retiring in his own way and under his own conditions,” Del Potro stated.
“And it’s something that unfortunately I couldn’t do for my health. Rafa’s thing is impressive. Seeing him play and seeing that passion for competing and that energy he has is something unique and I don’t know if there will be something similar in the coming years.
“I hope I’ll cross it now and say hello and I’ll keep watching it on TV. I’m not watching much tennis, but if Rafa or Novak plays, of course I look at it.
“Rio’s match was emotionally very strong and spectacular, as an Argentine in Brazil and against Rafa. Another game I remember was the semifinals of the 2009 Us Open, but there is one that I lost against Nadal who was at Wimbledon 2018. I lost that game, but at the end we gave each other a hug. It was super emotional and when I see images of that game and that moment I don’t care about having lost because that moment is already winning.
“The result doesn’t matter, but that hug, the emotion, the fans. It was an unforgettable day and those were the great memories I have with Rafa.”
Finally Del Potro reflected on the future of tennis with Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner expected to have a fierce rivalry at the top of the game.
The former US Open champion compared it to rivalries of the past and is excited for what they can bring to tennis, “I love seeing Alcaraz because he has a freshness and a naturalness to walk on the track that looks like a 30-year-old guy who has been on the circuit for 10 and is super young,” Del Potro explained.
“It’s going to be very good for tennis, that face to face against Sinner. He is going to build a rivalry that tennis constantly had. First it was Agassi-Sampras, then Roger-Rafa, then Novak. And now it will be the two of them.”
