Juan Martin del Potro - Olympic Games in Tokyo as a big goal
Juan Martin del Potro is still struggling with knee problems. But the 32-year-old does not want to give up yet - also because of a big goal in summer 2021.
by Nikolaus Fink
last edit: Mar 11, 2021, 02:00 pm
While Roger Federer has recently returned to the international stage at the ATP 250 tournament in Doha, another great tennis player has to wait for his comeback: Juan Martin del Potro , who has been on pause since the event in London's Queen's Club in 2019, knee problems are still a problem.
At the end of 2018, the Argentine had already broken his kneecap in Shanghai, and a few months later, del Potro suffered the same injury in the English capital. Since then, the US Open Champion of 2009 has undergone two knee operations, but the pain has not been permanently eliminated. In addition, stem cell therapy did not have the desired effect.
Up and down at del Potro
"The knee gives me a lot of headache," the South American admitted at an event in Buenos Aires. Del Potro doesn't want to give up because of that: "Sometimes I feel motivated to make a comeback and sometimes it's difficult to see that. But I still have the feeling that I have something inside me and will therefore keep fighting."
The Olympic Games in Tokyo in particular are an incentive for the gaucho. "The Games are my motivation. I can't finish my story yet. I have the feeling that I can still achieve something," said del Potro, who has been at the Olympics so far brought in two medals.
Gold is still missing from the collection
In 2012 he won bronze in London, and in 2016 the former world number three even took silver in Rio de Janeiro. Five years later he could complete the set of medals in Tokyo - and despite his injury problems, del Potro was confident: "I think this is my year."
In order to prepare for the big event in the Japanese capital, he wants to return to the tennis tour "in the near future". Because one thing is certain for del Potro: "I want to end my career when it is right for me and not because of my health."