Juan Martin del Potro shows true meaning of sportsmanship at French Open

Juan Martin del Potro showed true sportsmanship in his match against Nico Almagro at the French Open. 
Juan Martin del Potro shows true meaning of sportsmanship at French Open
Juan Martin del Potro shows true meaning of sportsmanship at French Open /

If you're looking for the definition of sportsmanship, look no further than Juan Martin del Potro's actions at Roland Garros on Thursday.

In a second-round match, del Potro's opponent, Nico Almagro, slid on the clay and pulled up with an injury to his knee, the same one that caused him to withdraw from his match against Rafael Nadal last month in Rome. After hobbling on the baseline, Almagro collapsed to the court in tears. As the trainers checked on him, del Potro hurried over to console him as he sobbed loudly on the court.

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THOMAS SAMSON/AFP/Getty Images
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THOMAS SAMSON/AFP/Getty Images

It was a touching scene on Court 2 on Thursday, as del Potro—who knows very well what it's like to deal with ongoing injuries and pain—comforted 31-year-old Almagro, who has had his own share of tough battles with injuries throughout the latter years of his career. The match was tied at one-set all and 1-1 in the third when the Spaniard was forced to retire. 

Del Potro moves into the third round and will next face the winner of No. 1 Andy Murray vs. Martin Klizan.


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Jamie Lisanti
JAMIE LISANTI

Jamie Lisanti is an assistant managing editor at Sports Illustrated. A former college soccer player, she covers a variety of topics, including tennis, Olympics, fitness and nutrition, and more.