WHAT A PLEASURE TO SEE YOU AGAIN

In this Insider exclusive, Tournament Director Martin Jaite shares his unique perspective of Juan Martin del Potro's emotional return at the Argentina Open.

I don’t usually stay to watch many matches, because we Tournament Directors are always in a rush. But of course, this one was special. On that Tuesday night in Buenos Aires, I took a break from everything I was doing to see Juan Martin del Potro enter Guillermo Vilas Centre Court after so long. It’s easy to forget about the things that happened through years. For example, it was incredible when Guga Kuerten came in as World No. 1. But Del Potro's entrance, with the whole stadium giving him a standing ovation — or the same at the end — must be one of the most important moments of our tournament’s history, without a doubt. It was a true party atmosphere, with the “Ole Delpo” chorus ringing, and it gave me a lot of emotion to see the stadium full and overflowing. Del Potro was overflowing with emotion himself, coming to tears as he stepped up to serve in the final game of the match against Federico Delbonis. After the match, he laid his bandana on the net before telling the crowd that the match was likely his last.