Juan Martin del Potro believes Carlos Alcaraz ‘has something more’ than rival Jannik Sinner, adding that the Spaniard is ‘capable of winning anyone over’ with his style and personality.
This season marks 17 years since the Argentine shocked the tennis world at the US Open to win his first and only Grand Slam title.
In that final, del Potro defeated five-time defending champion Roger Federer 3–6, 7–6(5), 4–6, 7–6(4), 6–2 in an instant classic.
The Swiss had served for a two-set lead and was also just two points away from the title in the fourth set.
However, since that victory, the Argentine’s career has been full of ups and downs, producing numerous impressive results but lacking the consistency needed to compete with the best.
Del Potro was plagued by numerous injuries, beginning in 2010 when he underwent surgery on his right wrist for a tendon injury.
Over the next 12 years, he would undergo eight further surgeries and suffer countless more injuries.
In 2019, having reached a second US Open final the previous season, he fractured his knee, an injury that ultimately proved fatal to his career.
After numerous operations, he was left struggling to walk up stairs without pain and unable to live comfortably without daily medication.
“The day I lifted the US Open trophy after defeating Federer was the happiest day of my life. If I had known everything that it would ultimately cost me, I would have thought twice,” said the former Grand Slam champion during an interview with outlet Corriere della Sera.
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Despite having played just one professional match since the injury, his retirement match at the 2022 edition of the Buenos Aires ATP 250 tournament, the nicknamed ‘gentle giant’ is always eager to weigh in with his analysis of the current tennis scene.
Most notably, he sought to compare Alcaraz and Sinner, with the pair having won 10 of the last 11 Grand Slam titles.
“Jannik reminds me a lot of [Novak] Djokovic because of his characteristics. The elasticity, the speed, the solidity from the back of the court and his intelligence,” commented the Argentine.
“Carlitos is a special being; he has something more. He has the empathy and the ability to connect with people. He has Latin blood and a smile capable of winning over anyone.
“I would have to ask him not to play drop shots, because he wouldn’t reach any!”
Del Potro also took the opportunity to air his concerns surrounding the intense nature of the tennis calendar, which, according to Alcaraz and others, will inevitably lead to unnecessary injuries.
“Carlitos is right when he says he will play the tournaments he wants and not those in which he is asked to be present,” he added.
“I think this will become a widespread trend among the top players on the circuit. It’s important to listen to your own body. My mistake, unlike Alcaraz, was not giving my wrist all the time it needed to fully recover.
“These guys have to perform at their best every week of the year, and that is too much. But they are so superior to the rest that, even if they are away from competition for a long time, they barely drop in the rankings.”
