Juan Martin del Potro earned the nickname “Humble Warrior” for his epic battles vs. Big 3 legends Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer.
These days, del Potro fights a daily battle against chronic pain that has turned life into “a never-ending nightmare.”
The man who famously made history defeating Nadal and Federer back-to-back capturing the 2009 US Open championship in stunning style, shared an update on his tragic personal story on social media.
The 36-year-old del Potro concedes he lives with daily pain, the result of several knee surgeries he endured during and after his career.
“When I had my first surgery in June (2019), the doctor told me I would play in three months. I even signed in for three indoor tournaments at the end of the year,” del Potro said. “After 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 on my side, or when I wake up because I get these sharp pains. It’s like a never-ending nightmare that I’m trying daily to find solutions and alternatives for, but I can’t find them.
“It all started with that first surgery … every time I think about it, it stirs up so much bad emotion; it makes me really angry, very frustrated, but I can’t change it. My daily life isn’t what I would like it to be. I can’t play (soccer), I can’t play Padel. It’s terrible. They took me the chance to do what I loved the most, which was to play tennis.
“It’s very tough. There are moments where I have no more strength. I’m not indestructible. I have good things, bad things, but most of the times I have to fake it and put a good face, but many times I feel terrible.”
One of the most beloved champions of his era, del Potro famously led Argentina to its first Davis Cup championship in history with a stirring victory over host Croatia.
These days, del Potro stays busy running his tennis academy, spending time with his family, friends and animals—del Potro is a dog lover–and trying to come to terms with the career that was cut short due to injury and the surgery that have left him relying on daily medication.
“Every day when I wake up I have to take six or seven pills. Gastric protectors, anti-inflammatories, one for anxiety,” del Potro said. “Then the pills made me gain weight so they told me to stop eating some things.
“One thing are the (obstacles) that can appear in your way, like the injuries that can affect all athletes, but the other thing is the emotional pain. I felt so powerful when facing those obstacles, but after all I understood that I’m not that strong. That knee beat me.”
After eight knee surgeries, del Potro said he’s holding out hope for a prosthetic knee and an end to a life without pain.
Though del Potro earned more than $25 million in prize money during his career, Argentinean media reports much of those earnings were squandered by family members in poor business investments.
“I had eight surgeries, with doctors all around the world. Every time they gave me the anesthetic, I hoped that the problem would be solved and after two to three months, I was always calling the doctors to tell them that the surgery didn’t work,” del Potro said.
“There are doctors that tell me that I can put a prosthesis so I can regain some life quality. But others tell my that I’m too young for a prosthesis. They tell me to wait until I’m 50.
“But since I was 31, I can’t run, I can’t climb stairs, can’t kick a ball, never played tennis again. I need to wait 15 years more of this? It’s terrible. I hope this will finish someday, because I want to live my life without pain.”