When Juan Martin del Potro Won Indian Wells…And Honored His Dog

Other than his U.S. Open victory in 2009, perhaps the biggest tournament Juan Martin del Potro won at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells in 2018. With the help of mental coach Juan Jose Grande, del Potro was able to win a Masters 1000 level event for the first time in his career.

The following is an excerpt from Sebastian Torok’s book “Juan Martin del Potro: The Gentle Giant” (for sale and download here: https://a.co/d/4a7z4gQ via Amazon.com) that revisits this memorable victory where del Potro also paid homage to a recently departed friend.

Until 2018, del Potro had reached three Masters 1000 finals – in Canada in 2009, Indian Wells and Shanghai in 2013 – but had never been able to win a trophy of that caliber. He had always been eliminated in the earlier rounds, for one reason or another. But after triumphing in Acapulco, del Potro arrived in Indian Wells with a different aura.

“The weather in Indian Wells was much drier, more pleasant,” said Grande. “There he was trusting tennis. He did not have as many concerns. He was already riding the wave.”

Grande continued on with del Potro, Prieto and Hünicken (Perita, Juan Martín’s friend, returned to Argentina after the celebration in Mexico.) In the Coachella Valley, a desert area surrounded by mountains in southern California, the routine of each night was to dine at an Italian restaurant that was very popular among tennis players. Launched like a bullet train, del Potro was eliminating rivals one after another. First he defeated the young Australian Alex De Miñaur, then again Ferrer and Leo Mayer, in the quarterfinals over the German Philipp Kohlschreiber and then the Canadian Milos Raonic in the semifinals. Then, in the final, he faced Roger Federer, the world No. 1 who was fresh off winning his second straight Australian Open who held a 17-0 record to start the year. At the age of 29 and after losing almost three whole seasons for various surgeries on his wrists, del Potro finally conquered the first 1000 Masters title of his career. A debt was settled.

The 6-4, 6-7(8), 7-6(2) win against Federer, saving three match points en route, was one of the best victories of his career: for the history, his opponent and for the prestige of the tournament, which had long been considered a sort of fifth Grand Slam tournament. The Argentine became the new No. 6 in the world and, more than ever, he gained momentum to try to fight for No. 1, something unexpected based on his recent history with his battered left wrist that did not allow him to compete and be happy.

“Juan won a sensational mood pulse. He even got Federer to lose his temper,” said Grande. “When Juan is connected to the deepest parts of his personality, he achieves a very pleasant coexistence between his tennis and his mood. And so it was in Indian Wells, under an atmosphere of harmony. I have the feeling that he found a lot of depth in himself in those days. He could have a space for his times, reflect, think, not let go of his emotions, keep them present and integrated with his work.”

After his win, Delpo went to the on-court camera, where the winner usually signed their name on the lens, and wrote “César” and drew a heart to honor his departed pet. The tournament victory allowed Juan Martín to join the exclusive club of Marin Cilic and Stan Wawrinka as the only ones to win at least one Grand Slam singles title and a Masters 1000 other than the elite “Big Four” group of Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray.