A heartbroken Juan Martin Del Potro has suggested he is due to retire from professional tennis.
The Argentine has suffered a plethora of injuries throughout his career that have kept him on the sidelines for lengthy periods.
The 33-year-old has undergone four right knee surgeries (June 2019, January 2020, August 2020 and March 2021) and has not played any competitive tennis since Queen’s Club in 2019, where he fractured his kneecap in the opening round against Karen Kachanov.
He has also suffered from multiple wrist injuries which forced him to spend prolonged periods away from the game.
Although he is set to participate in the upcoming Argentina Open, Del Potro admitted he still suffers from ongoing pain in his knees and deemed his latest comeback as a 'farewell' rather than a 'return'.
During a tearful press conference ahead of match against compatriot Federico Delbonis in Buenos Aires, the 2009 US Open champion’s words rocked the tennis world.
"I think this is one of the most difficult messages I will ever deliver," he said.
"I know that people are expecting me to return to tennis, but this may be more of a farewell than a return.
"I have strength to go forward but my knee is becoming a nightmare. I have been trying alternative treatments for a number of years, with different doctors and attempts to fix it. But I have still not found a solution.
“But I never imagined retiring from tennis without having the chance to say goodbye and I can't imagine a better tournament than Buenos Aires to do it.
"After these weeks we will see what happens with my future, but I am clear that I want to live like a person of 33 years and try to not have pain. It's a difficult decision, but I wanted to make it clear."
The tennis star received an overwhelming amount of support and well-wishes from the tennis world as he prepares to step onto the court for the first time in over two and a half years for possibly the final time.
According to Michal Samulski, Del Potro revealed that his mother Patricia, who has never seen him play professionally on the court, will be in attendance for his match against Delbonis on Tuesday evening.
The Olympic bronze and silver medallist, renowned for his fearsome forehand, won the last of his 22 tour titles at the Indian Wells Masters in 2018.
His crowning achievement came at the US Open in 2009, where after defeating Rafael Nadal in straight sets in the last four, before emerging victorious over Roger Federer to win his lone Grand Slam title.
Del Potro is one of the most popular players on the tennis circuit with a captivating and powerful game that provided his opponents with their fair share of problems.
Following the tournament in Buenos Aires, he accepted a wildcard into the Rio Open, but it is unknown whether he will play.