Juan Martin del Potro retired from tennis after beating Novak Djokovic 6-4, 7-5 in an exhibition match in Buenos Aires on Sunday
Del Potro was born on September 23, 1988 in Tandil, Argentina. He was a right-handed player with a two-handed backhand. He made his Grand Slam debut at Roland Garros in 2006
Three years after turning pro, Del Potro had a memorable 2008 season in which he won four titles - Stuttgart, Kitzbuhel, Los Angeles and Washington - and also reached the US Open quarterfinals to enter the ATP Top 10 Rankings
However, his breakthrough moment came in 2009 when he shocked Rafael Nadal (semis) and Roger Federer (final) to clinch the US Open. Nadal and Federer had won 17 of the last 18 Slams
Just when his career was about to take off, Del Potro’s body started to break down. A surgery for right wrist in 2010 and three for left wrist between 2014 and 2015 never allowed him to consistently make deep runs at Majors
The Argentine’s career found a second win in 2016 as he clinched his second Olympic medal - a silver in Rio de Janeiro. He had previously won a bronze in London in 2012
He also helped Argentina claim its maiden Davis Cup title in 2016 with a crucial come-from-behind victory over Croatia’s Marin Cilic in the first reverse singles
In 2018, at the age of 29, he got his first Masters and overall 22nd career title after saving three match points in the final against the then World No. 1 and defending champion Federer at Indian Wells. Later in the year, he reached a career-high ranking of 3
Nine years after his triumph, Del Potro again reached the US Open final in 2018. However, this time, he fell to Djokovic in straight sets
Del Potro had a knee injury towards the end of 2018 season. That injury proved to be a major one as the Argentine underwent four surgeries between 2019 and 2021 but never recovered to full fitness
Del Potro played his first professional match after a gap of three years in 2022 but lost in the first round of Argentina Open. He hung his headband on the net afterwards. It remains his final match on the ATP Tour
“I don’t know anyone who doesn’t love Juan Martin… His greatest victory in life is that he’s a wonderful person,” said Djokovic, a 24-time Major champion, after Del Potro’s farewell match on Sunday