By
Juan Martin del Potro achieved one of his tennis goals when he won the US Open in 2009, but there is another dream he couldn’t achieve because of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic.
The Argentinian was one of the best tennis players in the world during his prime and had several wins against the big three of Federer, Nadal and Djokovic – defeating Nadal in the semi-finals at the 2009 US Open and Federer in the final.
He won Olympic silver medals in 2012 and 2016 and was ranked No. 3 in the ATP rankings in 2018, but injuries ultimately prevented him from achieving much success. and knee injuries that often require career-saving activities.
But while injuries have curtailed his career, Messrs Federer, Nadal and Djokovic have also had one or more members of the Big Three always ahead of him in the rankings and often standing in his way of winning a Grand. how are you
In an interview with Tennis News Brasil, he talked about what he was missing from his career and said, “The only thing I’m missing is being number 1.” It was always a dream and I always worked towards it.
If I had to answer the question today, I would say this, but I’m proud of my career and I’ve never done it because it was Federer or Nadal or Djokovic.
“It’s beautiful when I look at my grades and years of work and see that these are the ones who didn’t allow me to achieve this dream that I was fighting to be 1.”
He also spoke about the future of tennis and the likes of Carlos Alcaraz, Janic Siner and Holger Ruhn will shine over the years, but will not replace the big three.
“One day the big three will end and Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner or Holger Rune, other young people will dominate the tour, but for me for many years – the big three – nothing will be the same.” he said.
After suffering a knee injury at Queen’s Club in June 2019, del Potro spent three full years on the sidelines before returning at the 2022 Argentina Open, but admitted his appearance was “probably more of a farewell than a comeback”.
“If I’m honest I have to say I’m not here for a miracle like on other occasions,” the Argentine said. “I know my physical limitations, and we’ll see later.”
He added: “I always said I would never give up with this injury. The farewell should not be in a court, but in an assembly.
Read more: Juan Martin del Potro details heartbreaking injury struggles
