Del Potro: A wasted talent?

[donquijote]

He won USO by beating peak Nadal and Federer at the age of 21 and since then he has no GS titles and no Masters titles. Andy Murray and Stan Wawrinka meanwhile won 3 GS each and Andy also has 14 masters titles (Stan has 1). Against Federer in the third set of Basel final, Delpo looked like the 36 years old guy in the match. It is obvious he doesn't look after himself well enough. He had serious injuries in the past partly because of that. He just can't stay healthy. Had he been more professional, he could have won at least 4 GS by now. A wasted talent IMO.

 

[Mr.Lob]

You lose a bet on Delpo today?

 

[Tennisanity]

Yup, had Delpo stayed healthy there would be a lot fewer slams for Nadal and Djokovic. There count is inflated because they had no one to challenge them like Fed had with them.

 

[Luckydog]

He wasted what?

 

[helterskelter]

Not even quite 21 when he won the US Open - he turned 21 later that month.

 

[True Fanerer]

Del Potro will have a good legacy no matter what

 

[donquijote]

You lose a bet on Delpo today?

I'd never bet against Federer.

 

[Julian Houston]

Djokovic and Nadal were lucky Potro wasn't fit for almost 1 decade.

This is a 50% potro with a neutral rally on his backhand. He used to smack it.

 

[Tshooter]

...
This is a 50% potro with a neutral rally on his backhand. He used to smack it.

Not sure about that 50% figure but Delpo is at Peak Possum Power. Theim at USO never realized it until it was too late.

 

[Yoneyama]

Del Potro has been finding form again this year, and has been playing spectacular tennis ~US open onwards.

I think 2018 will be a great year for him and his rankings will continue to climb. He is hitting the 2HBH alot more this second half of the year which gives an idea to how his wrist troubles are starting to impact his game less.

 

[VolleyHelena]

Del Potro would have a Wawrinka like career if he wasn't injured so much.

 

[Noelan]

LOL at fedfanboys giving Nadal and Djokovic GS to Delpotro because he is tougher match up to Federer.
No, he is not wasted talent

 

[Mainad]

Yup, had Delpo stayed healthy there would be a lot fewer slams for Nadal and Djokovic. There count is inflated because they had no one to challenge them like Fed had with them.

Seem to recall that Wawrinka challenged Nadal and both he and Murray challenged Djokovic!

 

[Gary Duane]

He won USO by beating peak Nadal and Federer at the age of 21 and since then he has no GS titles and no Masters titles. Andy Murray and Stan Wawrinka meanwhile won 3 GS each and Andy also has 14 masters titles (Stan has 1). Against Federer in the third set of Basel final, Delpo looked like the 36 years old guy in the match. It is obvious he doesn't look after himself well enough. He had serious injuries in the past partly because of that. He just can't stay healthy. Had he been more professional, he could have won at least 4 GS by now. A wasted talent IMO.

Kyrgios so far is a waste of talent.

Delpo has fought back like a lion after incredible bad luck. It's just stupid to blame his wrist problems on being lazy.

You're being a complete jerk.

 

[Zeref]

He won USO by beating peak Nadal and Federer at the age of 21 and since then he has no GS titles and no Masters titles. Andy Murray and Stan Wawrinka meanwhile won 3 GS each and Andy also has 14 masters titles (Stan has 1). Against Federer in the third set of Basel final, Delpo looked like the 36 years old guy in the match. It is obvious he doesn't look after himself well enough. He had serious injuries in the past partly because of that. He just can't stay healthy. Had he been more professional, he could have won at least 4 GS by now. A wasted talent IMO.

He will always have a good folklore of 2009 US Open and Beijing Olympics.

 

[NoleFam]

Yup, had Delpo stayed healthy there would be a lot fewer slams for Nadal and Djokovic. There count is inflated because they had no one to challenge them like Fed had with them.

Doubtful, at least regarding Djokovic. Del Potro has never beaten him in a Slam and is 0-4. Djokovic is not a good matchup for him and he matches up better against Federer and Nadal, so I don't think he would have been this major road block for Djokovic even if he was more healthy throughout his career. Also, Nadal and Djokovic had each other as rivals for most of their careers.

 

[Bender]

Not really a waste since he's been sidelined with injury for huge chunks of his career.

A waste would be if Delpo remained healthy but clowned around on tour, which is patently not the case.

 

[Jaitock1991]

More professional? Da fuq do you know about his professionality? Being a top player on tour is unbelievably taxing on the human body, especially for a guy as big as Delpo whose serve is not very good for his size. The guys at the top are almost like superhuman specimens.

 

[Tennis_Hands]

If there is a player on tour that deserves the benefit of doubt of what might have been then that player is Del Potro.

No other player have been plagued with so many and so serious health issues and staged so many impressive comebacks as him.

 

[donquijote]

Kyrgios so far is a waste of talent.

Delpo has fought back like a lion after incredible bad luck. It's just stupid to blame his wrist problems on being lazy.

You're being a complete jerk.

0 Gs and masters between USO title and wrist injury with this kind of talent. His hard work during injury is overrated also. I love Delpo and I'm sad he hasn't had the success that Andy Murray had. Just the difference between a very hard worker and subpar worker as a professional.

 

[Gazelle]

Yes. Turns into a choker when things get real close in important matches. Not blowing big leads Cilic-style, but still managing to come up short when it really matters.

Not showing up in WTF 09 final.
Didn't deliver in deciding tiebreaks in Montreal 2009 and Shanghai 2013.
Lost a set and a break lead against Rusty Nadal in Indian Wells 2013.
Didn't finish off Federer in Olympics, a match where Fed was so nervous he played near amateur level.
Played strong in the Wimbledon 2013 semifinal, but never made a decisive break through to take the match in hand. Didn't look like he really dared to win.
Loses against Murray in final of Olympics, despite beating much tougher opponents before that while Murray nearly lost to Fognini and some nameless player.
Totally fell apart against Nadal at USO 2017 after taking first set, first time in ages where he had a realistic shot at winning another slam.
Wasted a one set lead against Federer in Shanghai, despite overpowering him initially.
Did the same thing in Basel, against a Federer who was visibly nervous and agitated and ripe for the taking.

The chokes are not obvious at first sight, but there's a clear pattern there. His USO 09 win is the odd one out, with some big help from Federer.

I recognize he's had huge problems with injuries. But the losses above can't be attributed to injuries. If not for injuries the list above would probably have been longer.

 

[donquijote]

I recognize he's had huge problems with injuries. But the losses above can't be attributed to injuries. If not for injuries the list above would probably have been longer.

Some injuries are not a result of bad luck. It's no coincidence that Michael Jordan played every match possible in his career. Of course you can't expect every professional to be like that but he could keep it to a minimum with good conditioning, good diet, better personal life and better scheduling than a journey man.

 

[MarcusInKensington]

King Potro is my favourite player by far, but it doesn’t prevent me from realising that he’s a pretty one dimensional player. He might have added another USO if he hadn’t suffered multiple injuries, but that’s about it.

 

[mike danny]

Yes. Turns into a choker when things get real close in important matches. Not blowing big leads Cilic-style, but still managing to come up short when it really matters.

Not showing up in WTF 09 final.
Didn't deliver in deciding tiebreaks in Montreal 2009 and Shanghai 2013.
Lost a set and a break lead against Rusty Nadal in Indian Wells 2013.
Didn't finish off Federer in Olympics, a match where Fed was so nervous he played near amateur level.
Played strong in the Wimbledon 2013 semifinal, but never made a decisive break through to take the match in hand. Didn't look like he really dared to win.
Loses against Murray in final of Olympics, despite beating much tougher opponents before that while Murray nearly lost to Fognini and some nameless player.
Totally fell apart against Nadal at USO 2017 after taking first set, first time in ages where he had a realistic shot at winning another slam.
Wasted a one set lead against Federer in Shanghai, despite overpowering him initially.
Did the same thing in Basel, against a Federer who was visibly nervous and agitated and ripe for the taking.

The chokes are not obvious at first sight, but there's a clear pattern there. His USO 09 win is the odd one out, with some big help from Federer.

I recognize he's had huge problems with injuries. But the losses above can't be attributed to injuries. If not for injuries the list above would probably have been longer.

Longer, but he would have probably sneaked another slam and a masters somehwere in between.

 

[TheGhostOfAgassi]

LOL at fedfanboys giving Nadal and Djokovic GS to Delpotro because he is tougher match up to Federer.
No, he is not wasted talent

Hehe Bingo

 

[fedtennisphan]

Hehe Bingo

Ha! Ha! Nadal and Djokovic fans always trying join up tag team style to keep titles away from Federer and hoping he retire due to being a pain in your rear. I love when haters say they hate the big 3 or 4 when they really hate is Federer.

 

[TheGhostOfAgassi]

Ha! Ha! Nadal and Djokovic fans always trying join up tag team style to keep titles away from Federer and hoping he retire due to being a pain in your rear. I love when haters say they hate the big 3 or 4 when they really hate is Federer.

Hey, did you watch Chung bagel Misha?
Awesome stuff.
And what is your view on Pouille winning his biggest title? Great isnt it?

 

[fedtennisphan]

Hey, did you watch Chung bagel Misha?
Awesome stuff.
And what is your view on Pouille winning his biggest title? Great isnt it?

What’s your view on Djokovic fans trying to rush him back to the tour because they weren’t expecting Federer to win anything but 250s? Also what’s your view on Nadal fans gloating about YE 1 to dull the pain of losing to Federer along with him winning 2 GS titles? Hope Pouille is rested from winning Vienna and goes deep in the draw in front of his Fench fans.

 

[TheGhostOfAgassi]

What’s your view on Djokovic fans trying to rush him back to the tour because they weren’t expecting Federer to win anything but 250s?

Im totally fine with that.
Why should anyone think those opinions are wrong?

 

[User123]

He will be remembered as a one slam wonder.

 

[Shaolin]

The really tall guys always break down physically.

 

[mike danny]

Hey, did you watch Chung bagel Misha?
Awesome stuff.
And what is your view on Pouille winning his biggest title? Great isnt it?

Great win. But he is 23 already and has done little in the events above 500. Needs to rectify that.

 

[fedtennisphan]

Im totally fine with that.
Why should anyone think those opinions are wrong?

LOL! FedHater!

 

[TheGhostOfAgassi]

LOL! FedHater!

So what? Why do you care? Many doesnt like Federer or his fans that much. Its just something you have to live with. It doesnt help to argue with every one that doesnt love Federer like you do. You are making it worse.

 

[TahoeTennis]

DelPo is a treasure, a champion, and one of the greatest ambassadors of our sport. Vamos Juan Martin!!

 

[papertank]

Relative to his talent, Del Potro is definitely a huge underachiever.

Besides Stanimal, Del Potro is the one guy the top 4 universally do not want to see in their draw. The only other player that can truly stand up to them. It's crazy that he hasn't even won a Masters.

 

[dh003i]

Not really a waste since he's been sidelined with injury for huge chunks of his career.

A waste would be if Delpo remained healthy but clowned around on tour, which is patently not the case.

Yes, Delpo has been a very unlucky player to be injured so much. He has the heart and talent to win multiple Majors. After USO 2009, I thought he surely would.

 

[Tennisanity]

Doubtful, at least regarding Djokovic. Del Potro has never beaten him in a Slam and is 0-4. Djokovic is not a good matchup for him and he matches up better against Federer and Nadal, so I don't think he would have been this major road block for Djokovic even if he was more healthy throughout his career. Also, Nadal and Djokovic had each other as rivals for most of their careers.

Are you kidding? Did you watch the 5-setter between Djoko and Delpo at Wimbledon? Could have gone either way.

 

[BeatlesFan]

Del Po won a major, which is something than 99.9% of all male professional tennis players will never do. 99% will never even make it to the fourth round of a slam. So no, Del Po is not a "wasted talent."

 

[BeatlesFan]

The really tall guys always break down physically.

Tell that to the Zverev fans, who refuse to even entertain the thought.

 

[VolleyHelena]

Are you kidding? Did you watch the 5-setter between Djoko and Delpo at Wimbledon? Could have gone either way.

That wasn't peak Djokovic on grass.

 

[Shaolin]

Tell that to the Zverev fans, who refuse to even entertain the thought.

One of the reasons the Zverev camp is obsessed with putting on "20 lbs of muscle" and thats all you hear about. The super tall guys are fragile as there is a lot of stress on the joints.

They need to concern themselves with teaching him how to volley so he can shorten points as well.

 

[Goosehead]

not wasted, no way. injury blighted yes. but he will be borderline top10 in rank charts after paris (still a wtf chance).

a good atp250 tourney pre ao 2018 and he prob be top8 seed in aussie. 2hbh still improving, a major and 1st masters title could be doable.

 

[NoleFam]

Are you kidding? Did you watch the 5-setter between Djoko and Delpo at Wimbledon? Could have gone either way.

And that's that's the only match between them that went 5 sets and that wasn't even Djokovic in top gear on grass. Del Potro has never won a set against Djokovic at the USO and only one set at RG. Djokovic has the upper hand in that matchup more times than not.

 

[Zeref]

And that's that's the only match between that went 5 sets and that wasn't even Djokovic in top gear on grass. Del Potro has never won a set against Djokovic at the USO and only one set at RG. Djokovic has the upper hand in that matchup more times than not.

Yeah Delpo's shots are usually predictable , and if they are predictable djokovic can reach them because he is such a good athlete , his favourite shot is inside out forehand to the backhand which he does more than often, but Djokovic has got a very solid down the line backhand to counter it, that's why Delpo will always have a terrible match up against him.

 

[chicagodude]

Not really a waste since he's been sidelined with injury for huge chunks of his career.

A waste would be if Delpo remained healthy but clowned around on tour, which is patently not the case.

^This. Delpo has been extremely unlucky and frankly the fact that he is back and playing well is a testament to his professionalism and dedication. 9 out of 10 would've given up long ago when reinjuring the same wrist. Besides, he is making headwyas on the rankings again and next year I have good hopes for him. Still only 29 after all...

A waste is somebody like Monfils (and maybe Kyrgios in 9 years time), who could've won multiple slams if he was slightly more dedicated and less preoccupied with just being entertaining. His choice of course, whatever makes him happy, but I would've liked to see him win 1-2 slams.

 

[donquijote]

^This. Delpo has been extremely unlucky and frankly the fact that he is back and playing well is a testament to his professionalism and dedication. 9 out of 10 would've given up long ago when reinjuring the same wrist. Besides, he is making headwyas on the rankings again and next year I have good hopes for him. Still only 29 after all...

A waste is somebody like Monfils (and maybe Kyrgios in 9 years time), who could've won multiple slams if he was slightly more dedicated and less preoccupied with just being entertaining. His choice of course, whatever makes him happy, but I would've liked to see him win 1-2 slams.

Monfils was #7 at the end of 2016 and currently #46. lol

 

[slal1984]

OP - what you smoking brah.?!?!? Do you realize the injuries he went through? not being able to drop the left hand to his BH...

He can crush anyone when on his game...!!!

 

[Sudacafan]

Not a wasted talent, but an unlucky one.
Wasted talent should have been if he cheated himself in doing what he needed to do to succeed, à la Kryrgios.

 

[cc0509]

Yes. Turns into a choker when things get real close in important matches. Not blowing big leads Cilic-style, but still managing to come up short when it really matters.

Not showing up in WTF 09 final.
Didn't deliver in deciding tiebreaks in Montreal 2009 and Shanghai 2013.
Lost a set and a break lead against Rusty Nadal in Indian Wells 2013.
Didn't finish off Federer in Olympics, a match where Fed was so nervous he played near amateur level.
Played strong in the Wimbledon 2013 semifinal, but never made a decisive break through to take the match in hand. Didn't look like he really dared to win.
Loses against Murray in final of Olympics, despite beating much tougher opponents before that while Murray nearly lost to Fognini and some nameless player.
Totally fell apart against Nadal at USO 2017 after taking first set, first time in ages where he had a realistic shot at winning another slam.
Wasted a one set lead against Federer in Shanghai, despite overpowering him initially.
Did the same thing in Basel, against a Federer who was visibly nervous and agitated and ripe for the taking.

The chokes are not obvious at first sight, but there's a clear pattern there. His USO 09 win is the odd one out, with some big help from Federer.

I recognize he's had huge problems with injuries. But the losses above can't be attributed to injuries. If not for injuries the list above would probably have been longer.

Yes, good post. Del Potro picks and chooses his moments to do big things it seems. He's one of the only players who can compete well vs the Big Four players, meaning he has actual weapons to hurt them all but he's been unable to be consistent and is often unable to maintain his level for two or three big matches in a row vs Big Four players. I know some of his problems have been due to injuries but it's more than that. He's definitely underachieved given his weapons. There is no way a player of his caliber should have no Masters 1000 titles and only one slam.