Juan Martin Del Potro announced himself on the ATP Tour in July by securing his first ATP title
(in Stuttgart) and following up with victory over Jurgen Melzer in the Austrian Open final.
"These were two great weeks for me, really unbelievable," said the 19-year-old Argentine after becoming
the only player apart from Rafael Nadal to win back-to-back tournaments in 2008. "I can only dream
that I will be able to play on at this level. It's another dream for me, another tournament. In two
weeks I played 10 matches and won all of them."
The teenager beat four seeded players to win the Mercedes Cup in Stuttgart, upsetting second-seeded
Richard Gasquet 6-4 7-5 in the final. Along with his maiden title, he also collected a luxury white
convertible presented by the tournament sponsor. "This is incredible," he said before driving the
vehicle around the court at the awards ceremony. "I've dreamed of winning a tournament since I've
been a kid and now I also get a car."
Despite being drawn against top seeds in the first couple of rounds at many tournaments last
year, the 19-year-old Argentine reached a career high 44 by October. One of the tallest players on
the tour at 6ft 5ins, Del Potro's game is just as suited to grass and hard courts as it is to the
red clay of his upbringing. Indeed, his childhood idol was Pete Sampras and he cites hard courts as
his favourite surface.
Del Potro started playing tennis at age seven and made giant strides in junior tennis, capturing the
Orange Bowl 14s title in 2002. His father, Daniel, a veterinarian, played semi-pro rugby union and
his mother, Patricia, is a teacher. He has a younger sister, Julieta. He enjoys playing soccer and
supports the Boca Juniors team in Argentina and Juventus in Italy. His other interests include
surfing the internet and listening to music.
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