It indeed seems like a dream to defeat either Roger Federer or Rafael Nadal at their prime. Both these stars enjoy a great fighting spirit with a fierce desire to pull off a turnaround in the direst of circumstances. However, one man achieved the unique distinction of having defeated those superstars during the same Grand Slam, becoming the first to do so. Argentine Juan Martín del Potro is the individual who achieved this praiseworthy feat in the 2009 US Open. Del Potro defeated Nadal in the semi-finals, before going on to win the title with a fine triumph against five-time defending champion Federer. This made him only the second Argentine and the fifth-youngest man to win the US Open in the Open Era. Del Potro had suffered a defeat against Federer earlier in the year during the Heineken Open in Auckland, New Zealand, making the triumph all the sweeter.
The Argentine came very close to winning another grand slam in the 2018 US Open having entered the tournament seeded third. Del Potro defeated Donald Young, Denis Kudla, Fernando Verdasco, and Borna Ćorić without much ado to set up a quarter-final encounter against John Isner. The Argentine recorded a win in four sets to reach his second consecutive semi final in the prestigious tournament. Del Potro had stumbled at this stage in the previous edition of the tournament, but showcased his prowess against none other than Nadal in a rematch of last year's semi-final.
The Spaniard was forced to retire from the match due to a knee injury, with the Argentine dominating the encounter having won the first two sets. Del Potro gave a good account of himself in the final against Novak Djokovic, bowing out following a thrilling 6–3, 7–6(7–4) 6–3 defeat, which does not take away anything from the prowess shown by the tennis player. This spirit shown by the Argentine reflected significantly over the course of his career, as evident from the 22 singles career titles. Del Potro further helped his nation win a silver medal in the 2016 Rio Olympics, having earlier won a bronze in the 2012 London games.
The tennis star enjoys an exceptionally powerful serve with his forehand being one of the best in the game. The Argentine's forehand is capable of generating speeds more than 160 km/h, with fellow players terming it as being at par with that of Federer and Nadal. Del Potro's heavy groundstrokes are also game-changers, with the tennis star utilising them to good effect before following them up with a winner. The Argentine is a fighter to the core, as evident from his statements in an interview with ESPN.
“I love the challenge. It could be a tennis challenge or a different challenge in life. This is the toughest match of my career, because I cannot deal with these kind of injuries, this pain that I have now. But I’m still trying and trying. This is the life. I believe in myself that this is going to be in the past for sure. But I think it’s also a message to the young kids, to all the players, to all the people around the world that they never have to give up following a dream and that’s what I’m doing with myself,” said Del Potro, showcasing his desire to continue battling till the end at any cost.
Australian Open: QF (2009, 2012)
French Open: SF (2009, 2018)
Wimbledon: SF (2013)
US Open: W (2009)