Thanks, Delpo: Juan Martín said goodbye in a packed Parque Roca in front of Novak Djokovic :: Olé

The party is over. Abel Pintos played, but the final music was provided by the emotion of Juan Martín Del Potro, who could not contain his tears after the video in which the best images of his career were shown. And in the renovated Parque Roca, now with capacity for 15,000 people and far from the brick dust that saw him bring so much joy to Argentina in the Davis Cup, He had his long-awaited farewell. One that he chose and that he was able to script in the Netflix directorial style so that it was a last chapter with all the lights.

From the first hour of the morning, before going to the main hall of the Casa Lucía boutique hotel, that the Tandil native felt that his pulse was not the same: his heart was racing and he was already aware that the story would end with a bang. And when he arrived at the property located in the southern part of the City, everything accelerated at the speed of a Formula 1. Every moment was unique, even more than what he had dreamed of in recent days.

With an audience that filled the stands (you could barely see a few empty seats scattered along the sides) and that came from much of South America to cheer it on (Ole met people from Paraguay, Bolivia, Brazil, Uruguay, Chile and Venezuela), an event took place that will remain engraved in the memory of those who were present at the exhibition this December 1st. Nobody wanted to miss it: River players, soccer legends like Carlitos Tevez or Maxi Rodríguez, Paula Pareto and entertainment figures were there.

Now, there was a seasoning that served to give a unique flavor to the Last Challenge. The presence of Novak Djokovic elevated the match to power. From the first moment the Serbian put the shirt on his shoulder and understood his role perfectly. Although several came to see him and it was an extra motivation, he never wanted to be the main protagonist. Yes, the best player in history showed that egos had to stay aside, given that the farewell was from his circuit friend. He is the one with whom he shared so many battles.

Nole, applauded from his entrance to the green and blue painted cement, was in charge of helping Delpo to shine. Obviously he showed signs of his best tennis version and even lifted more than one person out of their seats with a Big Willy or with a parallel passing after a mini-tennis game on the net. However, He did not want to win the match and chose not to move his rival, but instead allowed the Argentine to show off with his electrifying forehands or good serves.. Even the man from Buenos Aires won the opening set 6-4!

Charismatic, the one born in Belgrade gave drinks to fans, lent his racket to a ballboy, exchanged shirts with his opponent and even started signing autographs in the middle of the game. Everyone made the best in history feel loved.

In addition, Delpo wanted to call more guests to the celebration and his friend Gabriela Sabatini appearedanother of the great legends of Argentine tennis. And for the third time in the afternoon the famous “Olé, olé, olé” sounded. Of course, the leading actors had won it before and in this case it was the turn of the 1990 US Open champion. Then, A doubles match was made (Gisela Dulko joined) and the atmosphere ended up relaxing. In fact, a fan shouted “We want a third set” and the albiceleste, sincere and with a smile, responded “Not me.”

Both gave everything for a show that ended in a 6-4 and 7-5 result, something that was completely secondary. And after the long demonstrations of affection, orchestrated by Djokovic from the side of the court, a skewer of emotions was generated that ended up breaking him. Then, it was time for recognition from the COA, for its two Olympic medals and its example of effort and dedication, and for another emotional video that made those present shed tears.

“I am very excited to be able to play with my friend, a great player and great rival. It was a very special day because I have spent a lot of time with Juan Martín. “I feel it very close to my heart,” commented Nole, somewhat moved. Then, it was the turn of the legend. “I thank them from the bottom of my heart. They have accompanied me all over the world and that for us (tennis players) is very important. Your love always filled my soul,” Delpo declared, through tears.

This Sunday the thread was finished being cut. So, Delpo hung up his racket and headband and definitively became an Argentine legend. Considered the second best national player behind Guillermo Vilas, Del Potro will be talked about in the future in every Saturday bar. When the nostalgic remember past times, they will name the Torre de Tandil as one of the greats in history. And the people made him spend a day that he will keep forever in his trunk of memories.