Juan Martin del Potro has revealed heartbreaking details about the “never-ending” injury nightmare he has endured over the past five years. The 2009 US Open champion shared that he underwent eight surgeries on his right knee and described the devastating impact these issues have had on his daily life.
Del Potro fractured his right kneecap at the 2018 Shanghai Masters. After making a successful comeback, he injured the knee again when he slipped on the grass at the 2019 Queen’s Club Championships. Following that setback, del Potro managed to play just one more match—an opening round loss to compatriot Federico Delbonis at the 2022 Argentina Open, almost three years later. He had to abandon his plans for another comeback at the US Open the previous year.
The Argentine, who won 22 ATP singles titles and reached a career-high ranking of world No. 3, also faced long-term absences earlier in his career due to serious wrist injuries.
Here are some key quotes from del Potro’s emotional and powerful 11-minute video shared on his Instagram account:
“Nobody knew this, but the day after I played my last match against Delbonis [in 2022], I flew to Switzerland for my fifth knee surgery,” he said. “Since then, I’ve never made my surgeries public again because I found peace in the press conference before that match against Federico, where I said it would probably be my last. People stopped asking me when I would come back, and I kept the whole process private. If it worked, I would announce my comeback.”
“I spent two months in a village near Basel, Switzerland, trying to rehab, but it didn’t work. After two and a half months, I had my sixth surgery. I returned to the USA, did more rehab, had over 100 injections everywhere. Daily suffering. This has been my life since that match against Federico.”
“When I had my first surgery in June [2019], the doctor told me I’d be playing again in three months. I even signed up for three indoor tournaments at the end of the year. But from that first surgery until today, I’ve never been able to go up a set of stairs without pain. It hurts many times when I try to sleep, when I turn to my side, or when I wake up with sharp pains.”
“It’s like a never-ending nightmare that I’m trying every day to find solutions for, but I can’t find them. It all started with that first surgery. Every time I think about it, I feel so much anger and frustration, but I can’t change it.”
“My daily life isn’t what I want it to be. I can’t play football, I can’t play padel. It’s terrible. They took away the chance to do what I loved the most—play tennis. It’s very tough. There are moments when I have no more strength. I’m not indestructible. I have good and bad days, but most of the time I have to fake it and put on a brave face. Many times, I feel terrible. Every day when I wake up, I have to take six or seven pills: gastric protectors, anti-inflammatories, one for anxiety. The pills made me gain weight, so they told me to stop eating certain foods.”
“One thing is the obstacles that come your way, like injuries that affect all athletes. But the emotional pain is something else. I felt powerful when facing those obstacles, but I’ve come to understand that I’m not that strong. That knee beat me.”
“I’ve had eight surgeries with doctors all over the world. Every time they gave me the anesthetic, I hoped the problem would be solved. But after two to three months, I would always call the doctors to tell them the surgery didn’t work.”
“Some doctors suggest a prosthesis to improve my quality of life, but others say I’m too young for one and should wait until I’m 50. But since I was 31, I haven’t been able to run, climb stairs, kick a ball, or play tennis. Do I have to wait 15 more years of this? It’s terrible. I hope it will end someday because I want to live my life without pain.”
The 36-year-old will face his friend and former rival Novak Djokovic in a farewell exhibition match in Buenos Aires on December 1.
“I want to arrive at that match in the best shape possible,” Del Potro said. “It’s a match to say goodbye. Djokovic was very generous in accepting my invitation. I want to give him all the love I can. If I can feel peace and happiness on a tennis court for even one, two, or three hours, it will be beautiful.”
