Meet the last 5 players who made their Masters 1000 breakthrough at Indian Wells

#4 Juan Martin del Potro (2018)

Juan Martin Del Potro hoists aloft his first Masters 1000 title at 2018 Indian Wells

Enduring one of his toughest weeks at a Masters 1000 tournament, Juan Martin del Potro dropped a set in 4 of his matches at Indian Wells 2018. But the effort was all worth it at the end as it was the big Argentine who was the last man standing in a three-set final against defending champion Roger Federer.

8 years after winning his maiden Grand Slam title at the expense of Federer, it was again the Swiss maestro that was at the receiving end as Del Potro lifted his maiden Masters 1000 title.

The breakthrough win almost did not happen though, as Federer had three championship points on serve at 5-4 in the third set. But Del Potro broke back to clinch the match in a deciding set tiebreak.

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Bhargav is a veteran sports journalist and editor at Sportskeeda, with a rich professional experience of 17 years, working for the likes of Siemens and Bombay Dyeing. An avid football and tennis follower for over three decades, Bhargav uses his vast knowledge and experience, attention to detail, an unbiased yet interesting writing style, and thorough research to craft insightful articles, which have raked in over 18 million reads so far.

Bhargav supports Italy at national level, a team steeped in tradition and history according to him. He still harbors the heartbreak from the Azzurri’s 1994 FIFA World Cup final defeat against Brazil, and protagonist-turned-antagonist from the game, ‘Divine Ponytail’ Roberto Baggio is his all-time favorite player. His favorite manager is Marcelo Lippi, who ended Italy’s 24-year wait for the World Cup trophy, winning it in 2006.

Outside Europe’s top five leagues, he follows the MLS following Lionel Messi’s move in 2023 but favors Cristiano Ronaldo in the G.O.A.T. debate. During his free time, Bhargav enjoys driving off to new places and singing.

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Edited by Musab Abid