Juan Ignacio Chela on tennis rivalries, Del Potro-Nalbandian link | OneFootball

Juan Ignacio Chela, who played in the same era as the King and the Tower of Tandil, analyzed what their complicated relationship was like.

Juan Martín Del Potro and David Nalbandian are two of the best Argentine tennis players of all time. The King turned professional before the Tower of Tandil, so Juan Martín had to fit into a group that already had its own codes. The player from Tandil was so talented that Argentina’s Davis Cup captains called him up, and that’s when the clashes with the man from Córdoba began.

Almost 20 years have passed since that famous 2008 Davis Cup final in which Argentina hosted Spain in Mar del Plata. Nalbandian wanted it to be played in Córdoba, but Juan Martín Del Potro’s father wanted it in La Feliz.

Given this situation, the relationship between David Nalbandian and Juan Martín Del Potro cracked. The final ended up in the hands of the Spaniards, who did not have Rafael Nadal among those called up, making it one of the biggest blows in the history of Argentine tennis.

Chela spoke about the relationship between Nalbandian and Del Potro

Speaking with Clank!, Juan Ignacio Chela stated: “David and Juan Martín, if it had happened, I don’t know if they would have been friends, but if they had truly respected each other, Argentina would have five Davis Cups. The two of them played unbelievably well everywhere, singles, doubles, and who was going to beat them?” He also added: “These conflicts didn’t help.”

“In tennis, you compete against everyone, and the other guy’s results affect yours, for example when it comes to being part of a Davis Cup team, seeing who is the best in history, who has more titles. Tennis is all about numbers, and the only event played as a team is the Davis Cup,” Chela concluded.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.