6) Juan Martin del Potro’s return
The return of the injury-plague Juan Martin del Potro to Flushing Meadows is one that he will never forget. After missing the past two tournaments due to wrist problems, the 2009 champion made a triumphant return. His first three matches saw the Argentine cruise through without dropping a set. He then moved into the last eight following the retirement of Dominic Thiem.
His quarterfinal clash against Stan Wawrinka could have been misunderstood for the final. The crowd was shouting and cheering for del Potro throughout the match until the very end. It without a doubt justified the reason as to why he is regarded as one of the most popular player on the tour. The massive support brought the Argentine to tears after an ovation erupted a game before he lost.
Following his four sets loss to the eventual champion, del Potro spoke about how much that moment meant to him.
“I can lose the match, but I will never forget this. It’s bigger than win any match.” He said about the standing ovation he received.
“I’m so proud to get that from the crowd, because I have been doing a big effort to play tennis again. They made me so happy tonight, and I don’t mind the score.”
