"Having Novak Djokovic come is the most beautiful reward I could have"- Juan Martin del Potro appreciates Serb taking him up on 'crazy' farewell offer

Juan Martin del Potro has shared his appreciation for Novak Djokovic ahead of the Argentine's farewell match in Argentina, thanking him for giving him a 'beautiful reward.' Del Potro, who officially retired in 2022 after an injury-hit career, will be playing one last time in front of his home fans in Buenos Aires on Sunday.

For the ceremony, Djokovic has already landed in the country and received a warm reception from fans in South America. The Serb was even given the honor of presenting the Copa Libertadores trophy on November 30, which was won by Brazilian football club Botafogo.

Speaking to Telefe Argentina ahead of the exhibition event, Juan Martin del Potro lavished praise on the World No. 7, revealing that he quickly accepted his offer to show up for his final tournament and promised to 'put on a good show."

"Having Djokovic come is the most beautiful reward I could have. I have a very warm, very human relationship with him and he is the one who always offers himself for these crazy things. He quickly replied that he was counting on me and that we were going to put on a good show," he said.

As for what fans can expect in the match, the former US Open champion admitted that he has had some physical limitations, and hoped Djokovic would take it easy on him.

"The preparation for this match is like for any tournament, but with physical limitations. I have perfected the slice because I do my backhand badly because of my wrist, and Djokovic already knows that it's not worth it to hit me and I have set some conditions for him, but he's the king on the court and whatever he tells me, I follow," he said.

Juan Martin del Potro looks back on 'saddest' moment of his career before farewell with Novak Djokovic

F1 Grand Prix of Qatar - Practice & Sprint Qualifying - Source: Getty

Speaking in the aforementioned interview ahead of his farewell match with Novak Djokovic, Juan Martin del Potro looked back on what he believed to be the 'saddest' moment of his career.

The Argentine pointed to the kneecap fracture he suffered at the Queen's Club in 2019, which he felt ended up taking years off his run on the ATP Tour.

"The saddest moment of my career was when I broke my knee in Queens. I have had a serious condition for many years. These last few days I have tried to think less about it. In the future I will see with doctors what the best solution is for me," he said.

On the tour, Djokovic and Del Potro shared a fierce rivalry, with the Serb leading 16-4 in the head-to-head.