In English, the Spanish word potro can be translated as stallion. By reaching the final tennis game in the Rio Olympic Games Juan Martin Del Potro (Delpo) proved once more that he is a stallion, with enormous energy and strength to confront his adversaries. At the Olympic Games he defeated first Novak Djokovik (the world’s No. 1 player) and then Rafael Nadal to reach the final game with Andy Murray.
Although Del Potro lost to Murray, he proved to be a worthy opponent. As The New York Times stated, “Andy Murray put a brighter shine on his finest tennis season by winning his second straight Olympic gold medal in singles on Sunday night, but surely Juan Martin Del Potro deserves something more precious than silver.”
His achievement is significant since he was unable to play for years, due to four rounds of surgery on his wrist. He entered the Rio Olympic Games ranked No. 141 in the world. After defeating João Sousa, Taro Daniel and Roberto Bautista Agut, Del Potro played against Rafael Nadal. During that game, there was a marked contrast between the self-assured stand of the Spaniard and the almost worrisome look in Delpo’s face throughout the game.
Juan Martin Del Potro of Argentina finished with the silver medal after beating both Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal. Clive Brunskill/Getty Images
