Juan Martin del Potro is one of the greatest sportsmen Argentina has ever produced. After Guillermo Vilas, Juan has been the flag-bearer as far as tennis is concerned. Del Potro has an aggressive style of play, often producing powerful strokes on the forehand and backhand. The intensity of his groundstrokes still remains unmatched.
The big Argentine has had many big moments in his career. Having said that, winning the 2009 US Open title remains one of the sweetest.
Juan beat Nadal in the semi-final and went on to beat Federer in the final. To beat two of the most dominant players at that time was unthinkable.
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Recently, Juan Martin del Potro reflected on the win that he felt transformed his career and mindset as a player to believe in himself.
Juan Martin del Potro: I Felt Like a Professional for the First Time
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The former World No. 3 said, “I remember that it was my first Challenger title. It was in Uruguay in 2005. After winning here, I really felt like I was a professional tennis player for the first time. I started believing in my game and it showed the people working with me how good I can be in the future. I think I made a pretty good career after winning this title.”
On occasions, it’s that one particular win players need that gives them the confidence to live up to their potential. For Juan, it was winning the Challenger title. Unfortunately, all along his career, Juan has had constant troubles with his wrist. Over the past decade, he has repeatedly had surgeries.
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Not long ago in 2019, del Potro suffered a horrific injury when he injured his knee cap. Ever since then, Juan has not played any competitive tennis. However, del Potro has always bounced back to winning ways after he’s come back to tour. All players on the circuit hold him in high regard.