Video - When Djokovic won the 2013 Shanghai Masters 1000 after a grueling battle against Del Potro
Novak Djokovic and Juan Martin Del Potro are genuine friends and maintain excellent relations off the court. However, during their careers, the two men have often been opponents in major moments.
This was notably the case during the bronze medal match at the 2012 London Olympics, in the semifinals of Wimbledon in 2013, in the first round of the 2016 Rio Olympics, and in the final of the US Open in 2018.
But one of their most notable clashes occurred during the final of the 2013 Shanghai Masters 1000. Just a few months after the semifinal at Wimbledon won by the Serb, the Argentine had the opportunity to get his revenge.
Having played a perfect tournament, the 2009 US Open champion had eliminated Philipp Kohlschreiber (3-6, 6-3, 7-6), Tommy Haas (by walkover), Nicolas Almagro (6-3, 6-3), and especially Rafael Nadal in the semifinals (6-2, 6-4).
On the other side, Djokovic, the number 1 seed, had left only crumbs for his opponents, defeating Marcel Granollers (6-2, 6-0), Fabio Fognini (6-3, 6-3), Gaël Monfils (6-7, 6-2, 6-4), and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (6-2, 7-5) to reach the final.
Having already won the tournament the previous year after an epic final against Andy Murray in which he saved five championship points, the Serb did it again against the Argentine.
In a match that remained undecided until the very last moment and was decided by a tie-break in the third set, it was ultimately the higher-ranked player who had the stronger nerves to snatch the victory (6-1, 3-6, 7-6 in 2h31).
A summary to revisit (or discover if you didn't witness this encounter) and savor twelve years later on the Tennis TV YouTube channel (see video below).
Ultimately, Del Potro would eventually achieve success in this category of tournaments by winning his only Masters 1000 title at Indian Wells in 2018 against Roger Federer.
Plagued by repeated injuries, especially to his wrist and knee, the former world number 3 player later had to end his career at home in Buenos Aires after one last tournament played in early 2022.
Last year, however, Del Potro recounted the ordeal he faced daily with his knee, stating in a poignant interview where he couldn't hold back his tears that he couldn't climb the stairs in his house without feeling pain.
Shanghai 
