Juan Martin Del Potro is a retired tennis player with the work ethic, talent, and passion that would have placed him among Nadal, Djokovic, Federer, and Murray.

If not for his repetitive injuries, which made his career ranking graph look like a seesaw, he would most likely be part of today's tennis legends instead of being one of the biggest " What Ifs" of modern sports.

He came from a non-tennis-orientated family in Argentina. However, he fell into tennis out of randomness. He started gathering outside interest when young talent hunters saw his potential thanks to his height (6 ft 6), powering what would be recognised as one of the biggest ever forehands in tennis.

He became professional in 2005 and, at age 20, beat Nadal in the 2009 US Open semis to eventually upset prime Federer in the final. Everybody wanted Federer to win, and Del Potro operated one of the most memorable comebacks in US Open history. His prospects were sky-high at that time. But why he became a fan favourite was his personality, which was warm, empathetic, humble, and sensitive. His parents taught him to be a gentleman.

When fame and fortune came to his door, he did not let it get to his head, showing maturity beyond his age. He was also a quiet and calm worker, working on his game with a level of attention to detail that only the most dedicated professionals would show. At the end of the game, he would also show his opponent a level of respect and thoughtfulness few have matched.

He was not a people-pleaser. He was the product of a conservative family with a warm heart that wanted the good around him.

Having cemented himself in the Top 10, he was starting to write his name in the game's history books.

It wasn't until his first wrist injury in 2010 that he had to take a nine-month break before his return in 2011. Starting at rank 485, he finished the year at rank 11. Many players don't make a comeback after a severe first injury. After his operation and recovery, he returned to being relevant on the circuit.

He confirmed he was back to the top, finishing 2012 ranked 7 with a 65-17 win-loss. A year later, he was back in the top 5.

2014, he suffered his second wrist injury and spent two years away from the tour before making his second comeback in 2016. He won Olympic Silver (Bronze in the 2012 edition), killing Djokovic's dream and becoming the Davis Cup Champion to end the year on a high.

In 2017, he confirmed his top tennis player status by reaching the US Open Semis. A year later, he won his first Masters and reached his second US Open final, becoming World Number 3, his highest ranking ever. Around the end of the season, he suffered a knee injury, which caused him to miss the ATP Finals, which he had not attended since 2013.

In 2019, he came back but did not fully recover from his injury; midway through the season, before suffering another career-threatening injury when he fractured his kneecap, he did not play any tennis until 2022 when he made a return to call it quits in 2023 when he failed to come back for the US Open.

This character is relevant to appreciating one's agency as a man because, thanks to the work ethic his parents taught him, he always believed in himself and what he could achieve despite life's curve balls.

He is not the Ronaldo of Tennis. He is reserved and timid despite being built like a giant. He embodied overcoming challenges despite being riddled with emotions, which could be seen as weak. He returned from two long stints away from the Tour to reach the Top. Many players cannot do it once. He did it twice until, despite the best surgeons, his body could not sustain it. He was one of the very few who could challenge the Big 4.

His biggest fights were not against them but against himself—his body and mind, which could have easily told him to give up as he had already made his millions. Regardless, he continued through the pain and through training despite being off the circuit. It is a testament to resilience. Helped by his talent and love of the game, he did not stop believing and underwent countless operations to be fit again. He changed how he played the game, discounting the injury risks and finding solutions rather than focusing on problems.

He kept his composure despite playing with the fear of his wrists and knees failing again. Without his injuries, we can only imagine what a career he would have had. Beating prime Nadal, Federer, and Djokovic was something very few did.

Every comeback he made demonstrated the strength of his mindset, his love for tennis, and his determination never to give up. He never let life's hurdles turn him into a bitter individual. At the very least, in front of the camera, he showed himself to be authentic, generous and humble. He was letting tears of joy or pain paint his ups and downs.

He also showed no fear against the tennis behemoths, who would have usually been his rivals had he not suffered his injuries. He challenged them to the bitter end while addressing the other fear for his health in the background.

But everything has an end, and despite all the hard work, fights, and comebacks, there is a limit to what one can take physically. Nadal is living it at the moment. He eventually retired in his home country in 2023.

Unfortunately, his bad luck followed him in his personal life, as his father died in 2021. In 2022, Del Potro discovered that the funds he had let his father manage (30 million dollars, about 90% of his fortune) had been misappropriated.

So now he finds himself in a fragile financial situation, having to deal with this mess whilst coming to terms with his father's death and his career, where, in normal circumstances, he could still be playing.

Regardless, Del Potro remains straight in his boots, acting dignifiedly and discreetly despite the latest life's punches.

He was one of the players on tour who played with his heart and emotions on his sleeves but kept it calm when it mattered, in contrast to the androids Federer and Nadal. Where stoicism was revered, he transmuted his feelings to the crowd, who would fight with him and his challenges where people could relate.

What to remember from the above is that when you are at the bottom of the pit, you have the resources within yourself to make a comeback. It is all about self-belief and not giving up. Some of you will have more luck than others, it is part of life, and even if you do everything right, you can still end up screwed, but as a man, you have no other choice but to keep on fighting because no one else is going to save you. Don't suppress or repress your emotions; they can be your temporary strength in periods of weakness.

What makes you a man is not appearing stoic; it is having risen from the dead with your head held high and looking back at the previous falls as part of the journey.

Don't necessarily expect good outcomes from good behaviour; it is never a guarantee. Do it for yourself rather than expecting something in return. Your peers will most likely respect you, as was the case for Del Potro.

Remain humble because you never know what life can throw at you.

If poker and the financial markets taught me something, it is that when hubris is at its highest, the fall is the closest.

"Keep your Head Up" - Tupac

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