Juan Martin del Potro he retired from tennis but now he is calm and at peace. In a chat with Mariano Zabaleta, the former Argentine tennis player was honest and left several key phrases about his career.
The Davis Cup and the comparison with Messi and the Copa América:
“Messi won the Copa América and now he is seen as a different person. Winning the Davis Cup gave me peace. When we got back I said I was going to sleep peacefully. There was a path of suffering and ugly things that I had to go through, but that made me a better tennis player and a better person. I beat Murray in Glasgow in the semi-finals, but in that series we went through Guido Pella and by Leo Mayer. In the final we were champions because of (Federico) Delbonis because beyond my matches I wouldn’t have the Cup if it hadn’t been for him”.
The injuries and death of his father
“Ugly things happened all together. When I had surgery for the first time my head changed: I knew I had to enjoy more and within that enjoyment, I wanted my parents to always accompany me. I wanted another race from that day on. But it happened to me that I could never recover from my knee and my old man passed away”.
The pressure to be professional
“Every time he saved some money, he sent me for the nationals of the country. Or when there was a tour of Europe to go to compete. The tennis player, from a very young age until the last day, lives under pressure. The pressures are changing but from the day you are aware that you are going to dedicate yourself until the last day, you live under pressure”.
The mentality to face Federer, Nadal and Djokovic
“I always had a shield that I’m trying to take layers off of. If I had taken it off in previous years, maybe I would have lived some things looser. Even though I was always thinking how can I beat Djokovic, Federer and Nadal, how to become No. 1 And without that I wouldn’t have had the career I had.”
The bittersweet return in Buenos Aires
“It was very difficult for me to make the decision to play, but I had to do what I felt. Although I appreciated the advice and recommendations, it was time to close this suffering and this nightmare that I am living. I felt that it was time to play in Buenos Aires because I did not know if in February of next year I would be able to be”.
In search of the miracle Murray
“I do not close that window so that I can a miracle to happen as it has happened with Murray. Tennis is my passion.”
The future after tennis
“I would like to be a father, have several children. I would like to live in Tandil. I have to treat my leg because, how can I not ride a bike with my son? To play tennis if one day he tells me ‘hey, show me how you did’. Or soccer. That active father, that’s how I would like to be.”