Juan Martin del Potro hasn’t performed a tennis match in additional than a yr and spends a lot of his time with a Professional Padel League workforce in Miami, however he’s hoping for one closing hurrah on the US Open.
The massive hitter from Argentina, who received the trophy at Flushing Meadows in 2009, introduced on Tuesday that he needs to “play a farewell match” there in August — if his problematic proper knee permits it.
“My objective is to be able to play an official match within the event. I do not know if I can be 100% or not however, not less than, if my final tennis match ever must be this yr, I need it to be on the US Open,” the 34-year-old stated.
“I’ll work laborious for the final time, possibly, in my profession, and then you definitely by no means know. God will determine if I am prepared or not.”
He’s finest identified for utilizing his booming forehand to beat Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer en path to claiming the championship in New York 14 years in the past.
“Juan Martin is a real favourite of US Open followers,” event director Stacey Allaster stated. “He’s an incredible, but gracious, competitor and we might be thrilled for this former champion to affix us at this yr’s event.”
A sequence of wrist operations and, extra lately, accidents to his proper knee stopped him including to his one Grand Slam however he’s a strategic adviser of the possession group for Miami’s franchise within the seven-team Professional Padel League, which begins in Could.
“I prefer to play,” he stated. “My huge mistake is that I need to play padel (like) a tennis participant, however if you hit laborious, you’ll lose the purpose. It is utterly totally different, tennis and padel. I must be coached to enhance.”
Tennis teaching is likely to be one thing he tries down the street, however not for now in any formal means. He does sometimes provide assist to gamers who attain out.
“They only need to know hit the perfect forehand ever,” he stated with a smile.
In Miami lately – Del Potro splits his time between there and Argentina – he met up for a espresso with countrywoman Gabriela Sabatini.
“We stated, ‘OK, let’s go hit some balls.’ We performed collectively for an hour and it felt like I performed a five-hour match,” del Potro stated. “I used to be utterly exhausted.”
