He’s the only man apart from tennis’ so-called “Big Four” to have won a Grand Slam title since 2005, but an impressive resurgence from a long-term wrist injury could see Juan Martin del Potro seriously challenge for a second major title this year.
The “Tower of Tandil”, as he is nicknamed, turned the tennis world on its head when he dethroned Roger Federer to win the US Open in 2009. To make this further impressive, he thrashed Rafael Nadal for the loss of just six games in the preceding semi-final.
That makes him the only man apart from Federer, Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray to have won a Grand Slam title since the 2005 Australian Open, but also, it saw him become the first man to beat both Federer and Nadal at the same Grand Slam tournament (Djokovic would follow suit two years later).
After that breakthrough at Flushing Meadows, big things were anticipated for del Potro, until in 2010, his own tennis career turned upside down when it was revealed that he was suffering a long-term wrist injury, which would ultimately sideline him for most of the year.
It was during this absence in which he had to concede the defence of his US Open title, and saw his ranking drop to 485 by February 2011.
However, a deep run to the semi-finals at Indian Wells, where he lost to world number one Rafael Nadal, and a couple of small titles kick-started his comeback, and by the end of the year he would finish just outside the top 10, ranked 11th.
For that, he was recognised as the ATP’s Comeback Player of the Year.
In 2012, he continued to improve his results at major tournaments – he was able to reach the quarter-finals at three of the four Grand Slams, losing to Roger Federer at the Australian and French Opens (holding a two-set lead at the latter) and to Novak Djokovic at the US Open, after ending the career of Andy Roddick in the preceding fourth round.
He was also able to capture four titles during the year, the biggest of which was in Basel, where he defeated the home favourite Roger Federer in the final. He also captured the Bronze Medal at the Olympics, defeating Djokovic in that play-off after losing to Federer in a marathon semi-final, in which the final set lasted 36 games.
Last year, he enjoyed another solid season, capturing four titles, defeating each of the Big Four and reaching the semi-finals at Wimbledon, where he lost a five-set classic to then-world number one Novak Djokovic.
However, an illness which forced him to miss most of the clay court season (including the French Open), early losses at the Australian and US Opens and a hat-trick of losses to Lleyton Hewitt prevented him from having what could have been a better season.
But still, 2013 should be considered a success, given he reached his first Grand Slam semi-final since winning the US Open in 2009 and he also did defeat both Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal while both were ranked world number one.
Both of those victories came in the semi-finals of the Masters 1000 events at Indian Wells and Shanghai respectively, he then lost to the other in the championship match.
If the past two years is anything to go by, then 2014 will see him return to contention for the Grand Slam titles, though it’s very likely Nadal and Djokovic will steal the limelight at the major tournaments this year.
Already he has started the year in impressive fashion, dismantling the title defence of Bernard Tomic to capture the Sydney International in a 53-minute final in which he hit 21 winners and committed just four unforced errors.
It marked the Argentine’s second victory from as many matches against Tomic, whose Australian Open chances died at Friday morning’s draw when he was drawn to meet Rafael Nadal in round one.
del Potro also beat Tomic in the third round on the way to winning Washington last August.
It will set him up for what should be a good run at the Australian Open, where he will have only a third round performance to defend, having been upset in five sets by unfancied Jeremy Chardy at this stage last year.
And when you consider the fact that Andy Murray (finalist) and David Ferrer (semi-finals) have loads of rankings points to defend, a return to the top four in the world rankings appears a very strong possibility.
However, with both Murray and Ferrer expected to go deep again this year, the Argentine’s chances of climbing higher than his current world ranking of number five may have to wait a bit longer.
del Potro is seeded to meet world number one Rafael Nadal in the quarter-finals, but he will be ready for anything the Spaniard has to serve – he does hold a victory over Nadal at Grand Slam level, and also defeated him very impressively in Shanghai last October.
The Australian Open is the only Grand Slam in which del Potro has yet to pass the quarter-final barrier – but if he can continue his early season form in Melbourne Park, and repeat the dose on Nadal there, then anything could happen.
Should he get past Nadal, then one of Andy Murray, Roger Federer or Jo-Wilfried Tsonga will await in the semi-finals. Of those three, he has yet to defeat Murray at Grand Slam level, though he did win their most recent meeting at Indian Wells last year.
His ability to not just challenge the top four, but also beat them when many others can’t, is what justifies his world ranking and his status in the game today.
Last year, he was the only man to beat each member of the Big Four during the season – he defeated Murray and Djokovic at Indian Wells, then thrashed Nadal in Shanghai before beating Federer (again) in Basel.
But still, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga remains the only man who has beaten each of them at Grand Slam level. He defeated Murray and Nadal on the way to the 2008 Australian Open final, avenged that year’s loss to Djokovic two years later, and also defeated Federer twice (at Wimbledon in 2011 and at Roland Garros in 2013).
To win the Australian Open, he would have to defeat Murray in the semi-finals and Djokovic in the final to join Tsonga in that exclusive club. He already has victories over Federer and Nadal, both achieved when he won the US Open in 2009.
It’s a possibility, though not very likely given the form that Rafael Nadal is expected to display at Melbourne Park. Nadal, for his part, can pick up fresh rankings points at merciless will, having missed last year’s tournament due to injury.
del Potro is now 25 and is entering the peak of his career. Most players start to peak by this age – Roger Federer had his most dominant season at age 25 in 2006 and Maria Sharapova completed her career Grand Slam at age 25.
Victoria Azarenka will turn 25 at the end of July this year and by then it’s expected she will start to contend for Grand Slam titles other than her pet event, the Australian Open, which she will bid to win for a third time in a fortnight.
Will we finally get to see the best of Juan Martin del Potro in 2014? Can he challenge for another Grand Slam title this year? You be the judge.
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