Juan Martin del Potro falls victim to burglary, prized possessions including US Open trophy spared
ATPSunday, 17 May 2026 at 07:00
Juan Martin del Potro, now retired from the sport had an unfortunate incident in his home of Tandil in Argentina as his house was burgled in the middle of the night.
Del Potro though was semi spared despite the incident. The intruders forced entry by breaking a window before searching the residence and leaving with several valuable items.
Watches, jewelry, cash, and several racquets were stolen by the robbers albeit they did not make away with his more prized possessions such as his 2009 US Open trophy, his Olympic medals and a replica of his Davis Cup.
Del Potro was not actually at home at the time when this happened, so it was done while he was away. His mother and sister who were away at the time also discovered the burglary upon returning home on Friday.
A history of robbery
Del Potro has a history of this though in an incident he won't particularly want to remember. All the way back in 2013, Del Potro was robbed during an appearance at the ATP Finals. Back then he was boarding a train and had his passport, money and also his rosary stolen.
Del Potro arrived in London to play the tournament but in reality he was blighted by the incident albeit he managed to keep his prized possessions despite the burglary this time.
"It is tough to enjoy the fantastic tournament after my really bad Saturday," Del Potro said back in 2013. "I like to play tennis and I enjoy my work a lot, but someone took some part of my life. It's tough not to think about that.
"One of my things was the rosary. But I had a few things, which mean a lot in my life. I don't have them anymore. I hope to see Pope again. I will never recover this rosary, but a meeting with Pope will be an honour."
Juan Martin del Potro was robbed.
Del Potro of course retired in 2022 after an aborted comeback and trying to have more surgery to prolong his career. He formally retired in 2024 facing Novak Djokovic in a retirement match and speaking last year even said that he can never rule out a comeback.
But at the time of his retirement back in 2022, it was very much the end of the road for Del Potro who said he could barely walk up the stairs and drive due to the pain.
"As usual I delude myself, I hope, I have faith in every new treatment I try and, when this fails, the blow is hard.
“And for three and a half years, despite several surgeries and treatments, it always happened.
"Today I can only walk, I can’t run on the treadmill, I can’t climb the stairs without pain. I can’t drive for a long time without stopping to stretch my legs.
"This is my reality, which is hard, it is sad, but I always try to improve my situation and my new challenge is also to live in the best possible way, even psychologically, despite my problem."
Samuel GillEditor-in-Chief
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of TennisUpToDate.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces across the TennisUpToDate network, playing a central role in the daily operation and development of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has a broad background in tennis media. In his current role, he works closely with editors and writers to ensure coverage meets clear journalistic standards, with particular attention to verification, consistency, and timely updates when new information becomes available.
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