Tennis fans in disbelief as Juan Martin Del Potro hints at retirement

Juan Martin Del Potro surprised the tennis world by hinting at his retirement at an emotion-charged press conference on Saturday. The Argentinian revealed that his return to action almost three years after a knee injury at the upcoming Argentina Open was more like a "farewell" than a comeback.

"I know that people are expecting me to return to tennis, but this may be more of a farewell than a return. I have strength to go forward but my knee is becoming a nightmare," Del Potro said. "I never imagined retiring from tennis without having the chance to say goodbye and I can't imagine a better tournament than Buenos Aires to do it."

The news came as a shock to tennis fans on Twitter, who were still rejoicing his participation in the tournament. Upon receiving news that one of the most likable players on the ATP tour could possibly hang up his racket at the end of the week, users flooded the micro-blogging site with tribute messages.

"Del Potro was a warrior on court and a teddy bear off court. A gentleman. A true nice guy. So many nice memories of him… He’d never cross you without a hello, a smile or a wink. He’d always make an effort to answer every question. Now go enjoy your life, champ! Be done with rehab!" one user tweeted.

"My partner - who is very much only vaguely interested in tennis - said the other day that Del Potro looks like the kind of dude you'd happily trust to look after your kids for awhile," another user wrote on Twitter. "Honestly, I think that fairly accurately summarises the Del Potro vibes."

Fans of the 2009 US Open winner could not stop wondering what he could have achieved in a hypothetical scenario where he was not constantly hampered by injuries. Juan Martin Del Potro has reportedly undergone eight surgeries over his career, and Twitter users were all but certain that he would have become an all-time great had it not been for these injuries.

"Juan Martin del Potro has had surgeries during his career. Still he has won more ATP titles (22) than Berdych, Davydenko, Kuerten, Moya, Enqvist, Rios, Corretja, Ferrero, Rosset, Safin and Hass. Imagine what he could have done without those injuries!" one user tweeted.

"Despite much of his career being snatched away from him by bad luck and injuries, I’ll always remember Delpo’s peaks. And man they were in the f***ing clouds, no matter who he was playing, another user tweeted. Tennis gets poorer when he leaves the court this week."

One user shared a video from the 2016 US Open final where Del Potro squared off against Stan Wawrinka. The clip showcased the American crowd cheering on the Argentinian as Wawrinka prepared to serve for the championship.

An emotional Del Potro could not help but acknowledge the spectators for the heartwarming reception, making for an incredible moment that served to show the "human" side of tennis.

"In the era of extraterrestrials like the Big Three, Juan Martin del Potro showed us what it is like to be human," the user wrote. "Gracias, Delpo. Gracias."

Some tennis fans hoped Juan Martin Del Potro could "pull an Andy Murray"

Some fans were hoping Juan Martin Del Potro could draw inspiration from Andy Murray's journey

Social media was not without its share of optimistic fans, who hoped that Juan Martin Del Potro could "pull an Andy Murray". Like the Argentinian, Murray announced his retirement in 2019 owing to a hip injury.

However, the former World No. 1 returned to action later that year after opting to have hip-replacement surgery. Users on Twitter took inspiration from that, trusting Del Potro to do the same in the future -- even if it was only a pipe dream.

"Imagine if Del Potro pulls an Andy Murray Australian Open 2019. There is a retirement video tribute from all the fellow players on court in Buenos Aires," one user tweeted. "He gets one last “Resurfacing” knee operation and then comes back on the tour 6 months later with limitations. One can dream."