'Devastated' Juan Martin del Potro opens up on life without tennis

• Tennis News
• Tennis Interviews

2009 US Open champion Juan Martin del Potro admits he is having a hard time accepting a life without tennis. Del Potro, 34, retired from professional tennis in February. After being out for two and a half years due to four knee surgeries, del Potro returned earlier this year just to say goodbye to tennis in front of his home fans in Buenos Aires.

In the Buenos Aires first round, del Potro lost to Federico Delbonis. "I can’t psychologically accept a life without tennis,” del Potro said, per The New York Post. “I did not have a gradual transition to the after, I did not prepare, I have no idea what the other athletes did to live this process peacefully.

I was No. 3 in the world, then suddenly I broke my knees and here I am, with nothing”.

Del Potro: I was doing well, then lost everything

At the Queen's Club in 2019, del Potro fractured his kneecap. Over the next two years, del Potro underwent four surgeries to repair the damage in his right knee.

But del Potro's knee didn't progress as targeted and the Argentine was forced to retire. In a recent interview, del Potro revealed he started a new knee treatment in Switzerland. “I recently went to Switzerland to see another doctor.

I started another treatment, it was recommended by many tennis players and so far I have not even had a positive result. Imagine what it’s like after every treatment attempt or surgery, the frustration I can feel when things don’t work out.

As usual I delude myself, I hope, I have faith in every new treatment I try and, when this fails, the blow is hard. This is my reality, which is hard, it is sad, but I always try to improve my situation and my new challenge is also to live in the best possible way, even psychologically, despite my problem," del Potro recently said.