Argentine tennis player Juan Martín Del Potro, 33, has confirmed that he will play the tournaments in Buenos Aires (Argentina) and Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) this February. The one from Tandil had been out of the circuit since 2019 due to the injuries that reduced the career of the former US Open champion in 2009 and who came to occupy third place in the ATP ranking. “I worked hard and did my best to be with you in the coming weeks,” said the tennis player, confirming his participation in these tournaments. From his native country they point out that the reason for his return to competition is his difficult economic situation, due to the debts left by his father, who died in 2021.
Juan Martín Del Potro returns to the circuit. Many will remember the tall Argentine player, nicknamed, therefore, Torre de Tandil , for those statements prior to the Davis Cup final between Argentina and Spain in Mar de Plata in 2008. «We are going to be in the best way to get the calzones del orto”, said the Argentine then to warm up the final and that did nothing but motivate the Spanish team more, which, without Rafa Nadal, came out the winner in the cauldron that they had prepared in Mar de Plata. Those statements towards the Balearic were a mere anecdote, because later time has shown the mutual respect that both have in the various duels they have experienced.
Congratulations @rafaelnadal, impressive achievement! Together with @ medwed33 they made an amazing final!!! pic.twitter.com/sZhl8gGrFu
– Juan M. del Potro (@delpotrojuan) January 30, 2022
Del Potro had been out of the circuit since the summer of 2019, a decision made after the multiple injuries that have accompanied him throughout his career and that prevented the Argentine star from shining. Injuries to both wrists, and even two fractures to the right patella ended up forcing him to stop. In memory, his title at the US Open in 2009 beating the great Federer, plus another 21 titles in the ATP and an admirable rise to third place in the ranking in 2018, despite all his history of injuries and that in 2016 he became even below the thousandth position.
Now, at 33 years old, he is ranked number 757 in the ATP ranking and has received an invitation to participate in the Argentina Open, a tournament that starts on February 7 and will feature outstanding circuit rackets such as Casper Ruud, Diego Schwartzman and Dominic Thiem. Later, Del Potro will make a stop at the Rio Open, a tournament that he will play for the first time and in which he will coincide with the Italian Matteo Berrettini, plus those mentioned in the tournament in Buenos Aires.
$30 million diverted
From Argentina they point out that the main reason for Juan Martín Del Potro ‘s return to the circuit is his difficult economic situation. The tennis player is having to deal with the important debts left by his father, who died last year. Daniel Del Potro, father of Juan Martín, was in charge of managing his son’s accounts from the beginning of his career, having left a significant hole in them.
The television program A la tarde, on the América TV channel and hosted by Karina Mazzoco, pointed out that the tennis player’s father would have diverted some 30 million dollars during the years he was in charge of his finances. “In the bank you should not have more than 3 million dollars. It’s a lot of money, of course, but he thought he never had to work again in his life when he realized this disaster, “they commented on the aforementioned program.
The father, a veterinarian by profession, would not have known how to handle the accounts well – according to the ATP, the amount earned by Del Potro on the circuit amounts to 25,889,586 dollars – and would have ended up in debt, a situation that Del Potro was unaware of. «He rented 9,000 hectares, in addition to equipment with the idea of planting soybeans. But he had no knowledge and ended up in debt, “they said. When his father died, it was when he learned of the important debt that his father had contracted and which he now has to face.
