Juan Martin Del Potro: 5 Reasons Why He Can Topple Nadal, Federer and Djokovic
Juan Martin Del Potro was the next big thing in 2009. Standing at a gigantic 198cm and possessing a mighty forehand, the Argentinian was the world No. 4 in April, 2010.
After beating Roger Federer in the final of the US Open in 2009, Del Potro was regarded among many as being a future World No.1.
Weeks after claiming his maiden grand slam, Del Potro reached the finals of the ATP World Tour Finals, losing to Nikolay Davydenko.
Everything was in place for Del Potro until disaster struck in May, 2010. An injury to his wrist saw Del Potro miss the defence of his US Open title and he didn't return until the end of September.
The current world No.22 saw his ranking fall to as low as 485 at the end of January, 2011, but the Argentinian has had a successful five months.
He was a semifinalist in San Jose, Memphis and Indian Wells and has claimed two titles by winning Delray Beach and Estoril.
Del Potro is returning to the top of the men's game, and here are five reasons why he will, in the long term, challenge Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer at the very top.
1. His Forehand
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Del Potro's forehand is arguably one of the most dangerous in the men's game.
There is so much power, and whenever he is in trouble, he always seems to hit the ball harder rather than tricking his opponent with a slice or dropshot.
If you watch Del Potro hit, he swings early and relies on his wrist to generate the racket head speed. As a result, he could suffer from further wrist injuries, but his forehand is a lethal weapon.
2. His Serve
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A player's serve is the most important shot in tennis in today's day and age.
For Del Potro, his height helps him generate power and variety. His ball toss is at least two metres high, and as a result of his long limbs, he is able to hit the ball at such a height that he is able to generate, at times, unreturnable serves.
This is a big weapon which still needs work, but is a big reason why Del Potro can be at the very top.
3. His Age
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Time is on Del Potro's side. He is still only 22 years of age and already has a grand slam under his belt.
As long as he stays injury-free, he can be at the top for a long time. He is younger than Nadal and Djokovic and I predict that in a few years' time Del Potro can be at the top challenging with those two on a consistent level.
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4. His Experience
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Del Potro, despite his age, has bags of experience.
Winning the US Open at the age of 20 and having nine titles under his name gives Del Potro a good basis to start his charge towards the top.
He has been there before and knows he can beat the best.
While sitting just outside the top 20, he can use his past experiences and know-how to continue to work his way firstly back into the top 10 and then on to challenge at the very top.
5. His Determination
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To be able to come back from 485th in the world to the brink of the top 20 takes a lot of determination and patience.
He can now only move forwards knowing that he has the potential to be a top-five player and above.
After such a bad injury at a young age, the Argentinian will be determined to return to where he was in 2010, and that will surely help him return to the top and go on to challenge Nadal, Djokovic and Federer.
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