Juan Martín del Potro: Tennis’ Great What-If - The Giant that couldn't escape injury

From 2004 to now, men's tennis has been dominated by the Europeans, most notably the 'Big Three.' All the singles ATP Grand Slam titles have been won by players in this area of the world, except one. In the 2009 US Open, a certain Juan Martin del Potro stunned the world. It was a glimmer of the potential he had, but it would never be unlocked.

The Argentine has been among a number of players who were playing second fiddle to the likes of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. He had the talent to match and compete with them, but a great tennis career was cruelly taken away by injuries.

His first and only Grand Slam was an incredible moment, but a year later he would plummet down the order. He rose back up but again fell due to these constant pesky setbacks. Later in his career, he proved to be still a huge threat on the main stage as he reached another US Open final.

The latest rejuvenation would again end in the same result, but this time he would not come back. Thus came to an end what had the potential to be one of the great tennis careers from South America, but instead a huge what-if story that ends with a sorrowful note.

Federer had won five consecutive US Open titles leading into the 2009 final and would face de Potro in the final. The Swiss was the huge favourite, but he would be stunned.

Del Potro was building his ATP tennis career rapidly. He won four consecutive titles in 2008 in the build up to a quarter-final run at the US Open, all at the age of 19. He added a sixth title at the DC Open a year later along with reaching the Canadian Open final, with that providing great preparation for the fourth and final Grand Slam of the year.

His run was incredible. He defeated Juan Mónaco, Jürgen Melzer, Daniel Gimeno-Traver and Juan Carlos Ferrero. He got his revenge against Andy Murray for his defeat in Canada and confirmed a maiden major semi-final. He battered Rafael Nadal in straight sets to set up a final showdown against Federer.

Federer took a two-set lead and looked all-but certain to go and make it six on the spin in New York. However, this would not be the case. He romped his way back, completing the most remarkable of comebacks against one of the best players in the world, winning his first Grand Slam title. became the first player to beat Nadal and Federer at the same Grand Slam tournament and was the first Argentine to win a major title since 1977. It felt like the first of many, but only a year later his career had taken a huge step back.

These years have all been about del Potro's wrist, but all for the wrong reasons. He would not kick on from that major success, undergoing surgery on his right wrist. He missed most of the season and fell down the rankings.

He managed to rise back up to 11th in the world at the end of 2011 and returned to the top 10 as a permanent fixture. He reached two Masters 1000 finals, a Wimbledon semi-final and a few major quarter-finals.

However, in between 2014 and 2015, his career seemed to be hanging in the balance. Three separate surgeries on his wrist kept him out of the sport for almost two years. In February 2016, he fell to a low of 1,045 in the ATP rankings. Many would have given up. Del Potro fought back in what was one of the most remarkable comebacks tennis has ever seen.

Del Potro entered the 2016 Rio Olympics ranked outside the top 100 but managed to stun Djokovic in the first round. He made a run all the way to the final, defeating Nadal in another incredible result, before pushing Murray but not being able to seal gold, having to be content with silver.

Between 2017 and 2018, del Potro went back to being a threat. He finally won a first Masters 1000 title in 2018 at Indian Wells while reaching the final of the US Open, a second Grand Slam title. He had reached the semi-final in 2017 and the Roland Garros semi-final earlier in 2018, but this time he was able to convert that into a win and another chance at major glory. This time, Djokovic was not going to make any more mistakes, and saw him off in straight sets.

At the end of the day, the talent was always there for de Potro. His health was not. When fit, he showed his worth with some incredible runs and performances confirming his name among the best. Nevertheless, the best ability in sport is availability.

Still at the peak of his powers in 2019, the final blow came, and this time there was no response. Even beforehand, he missed the ATP Finals and Australian Open due to a fractured right patella at the 2018 Shanghai Masters.

He returned to reach the last-16 of Roland Garros and featured at Queen's. There, he unfortunately fractured that same knee, and that latest piece of misfortune was the beginning of the end. Four right-knee surgeries in 2019, 2020 and 2021 did not resolve the issue, and he would retire from tennis in December 2024 after his latest failed comeback, playing in an emotional exhibition against his great rival Djokovic.

To defeat Federer at Flushing Meadows in his pomp proves that del Potro could have competed with the best. He will always be a Grand Slam champion among all the other accolades he collected – two Olympic medals, 22 ATP titles, a Davis Cup triumph for his country and 10 wins over players ranked No.1 in the world with a career high of World No.3 in 2018.

All of these stats could have been higher, especially the major tally. If he were fit for his whole career, then there is every chance that he would have cemented his name as a tennis great. Still only 37, maybe he would be playing now and at a push competing.

That is just a fever dream. In this reality, his injury problems cost him. Not just any minor issues, but huge ones that wrecked his career of any momentum and consistency. When he was on it, he was a force to be reckoned with. There is always that argument that the 'Big Three' would have stood in his way like so many other challengers from fully living up to his potential, but that argument will never be provided accurately with the difference being that 2009 US Open title.

It was the pinnacle of his career. A 20-year-old lad from Tandil, Argentina, standing on top of the world. He will have that special memory and accolade for the rest of his life. No one will take that away from him, unlike the injuries he faced.

The moral of the story is that you can be as good as a tennis player you want. If you're not consistently fit, you will not live up to the potential. That is why Federer, Nadal and Djokovic are greats of the sport, and del Potro got swiped away from that chance.