In an interview with the Herald Sun, Juan Martin Del Potro recalls the lowest point of his career when, months after he won the 2009 U.S. Open, he was sidelined due to a severe right wrist injury and became a forgotten man in Argentina.
"I came in after the U.S. Open like the most popular person in my country, and maybe the tennis world," he told the Herald Sun. “A few months later, nobody spoke nothing about me."
In 2010, Del Potro was stung by speculation that he was having panic attacks and suffering from depression. He eventually wrote a public letter to combat what he called "false and malicious rumors."
This week, he told the newspaper that he wrote the letter because he was “sad, I was frustrated at home. Nobody knew what was going on with my wrist. I didn't know if I would play tennis ever again. That was my worst moment of my career."
However, the fifth-ranked Argentine said that he was pleased with his performance in 2013, when he won four titles and reached the final in three of his last five tournaments.
"I'm looking forward to keep going in this way," del Potro said. "I believe in myself. I like to be dangerous for the top guys. My game is working well at the moment. If I am healthy, and play with confidence, I know I can be a really tough opponent for the top guys."