History man
Can Del Potro set slam record in New York?
In some parallel dimension, there is a version of Earth where Juan Martin del Potro’s wrists never gave up on him. And the “Big Four” became the “Big Five.”
Del Potro – who will face Novak Djokovic tonight in the US Open final – has all but suffered a missing decade because of chronic tendon trouble in both arms. Who would have guessed, when he overcame Roger Federer in his first grand slam final, that it would take him nine years to play in the trophy match at another major event?
Such is the cruelty of sport, where abilities built up over decades of disciplined repetition can be stolen away from you by one wrenched joint or misplaced step.
In Del Potro’s case, he has borne his suffering with uncanny grace and an admirable lack of self-pity, continuing to compete at the top of the professional game even when he had no backhand to speak of. His stoicism, and gentle manner, have won over tennis lovers far outside his native Argentina.
When he beat Rafael Nadal on Friday night – with a little help from Nadal’s own unhappy tendons – he was roared on not only by a well-rehearsed cheer squad from his native Tandil, but also by the vast majority of locals. The chants of “DelllPo, Delllpo” resonated around the stadium’s upper bowl as if it were a cathedral.
To return to our counter-factual narrative, Del Potro was 20 when he dethroned the king of Arthur Ashe Stadium, ending a sequence of five straight US Opens for Federer. This was no Stan Wawrinka – a late-developing maverick – but a man who had been marked out for great things since he broke in to the world’s top 200 at the alarmingly early age of 16.
Del Potro’s forehand – an incredible swooping whirl of the right arm, almost in the style of a ten-pin bowler – was the key to his success. Even at his lowest points, Del Potro also maintained his unbreakable mental poise and an under-appreciated tactical acumen. How do you stay afloat in this fero-
ciously competitive world with only two functioning shots – the serve and the forehand? It requires a level of ingenuity that would impress a crossword compiler: the ability to mix up play and keep opponents guessing.
Deprived of his backhand drive, Del Potro refined every other stroke in his repertoire: notably the defensive backhand slice and the volley.
In another life, Del Potro’s talent and determination would surely have made him a multiple champion. Admittedly, he has won a Davis Cup with Argentina, taking out Andy Murray in the Glasgow
semi-final in the equal-longest match of Murray’s career. Yet his ability would warrant a cabinet stocked not only with a smattering of majors but also with a bunch of Masters 1000s titles – the top level of tour events which the Big Four have all but monopolised for the last decade.
As it is, his CV is populated instead by a multitude of tendon operations: three on the left wrist and one on the right. He has been unable to participate in no fewer than 14 majors since his 2009 breakthrough. But there is good news too. The worst days appear to be behind him, and a surge in form over the past 12 months has carried him to a career high of No3 in the world.
It is no coincidence that his backhand drive has began to come back to him over that period. Against Nadal on Friday, he changed the whole mood of the match when he fired a withering backhand pass up the line in the fourth game. It felt like a magic trick: the conjurer producing an impossible card from thin air. Admittedly, something went in Nadal’s knee in the next game. But the defending champion was put under heavy pressure.
Afterwards, Del Potro took questions on his own physical struggles. “The worst moment was in 2015 when I was close to quitting because I could not find a way to fix my wrist problems,” he replied. “I had been suffering a lot. I got depressed for a couple of months.
“I trust in my doctor after every surgery. We decided to do another one, then another one. But before the last one, I said that could be the last effort. I got lucky because now it’s working well. I’m not 100 per cent, but I can play in this condition. Reaching finals, winning titles, having my highest ranking ever in this moment, everything is almost perfect.”
Almost perfect, because Del Potro’s US Open is not yet over, and he still has to overcome one of the toughest challenges in tennis. Facing Nadal on a clay court is probably the ultimate, but Djokovic on concrete is not far behind.
The fans will barrack against Djokovic, as they often do in New York. His 2015 match against Federer featured one of the most partisan crowds seen in a major final. But Djokovic seemed to draw fuel from their negativity, as he delivered a four-set masterclass.
So while Del Potro’s luck with injuries may have improved, his fortunes in major finals have not. He beat the player of the decade here in 2009. Tonight, he will have to do it all over again.