Juan Martín del Potro Strikes Back
“Do you fear your body?” I ask Juan Martín del Potro.
“你害怕你的身体吗？”我问胡安·马丁·德尔·波特罗。
The 6’6” Argentinian looms over me like a lamppost.
这位身高 6 英尺 6 英寸的阿根廷人像一根路灯柱一样笼罩在我的头顶上。
He’s silent for a moment.
他沉默了一会儿。
He knows I’m really asking him: Are you afraid the pain will return?
他知道我真的在问他：你害怕疼痛会再次出现吗？
Nine years ago, del Potro was at the top of the tennis world.
九年前，德尔波特罗处于网球界的顶峰。
He beat Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer back-to-back to win the 2009 U.S. Open and looked poised to take many more titles.
他连续击败拉斐尔·纳达尔和罗杰·费德勒赢得 2009 年美国公开赛冠军，并且看起来已经准备好夺得更多冠军。
But a string of injuries kept him off the court for years, turning that hope for the future into a parable of potential loss.
但一连串的伤病让他多年缺席球场，对未来的希望变成了潜在损失的寓言。
But this is del Potro’s second act.
但这是德尔波特罗的第二幕。
In 2018, he’s played some of his best tennis to date and has returned to the top of the rankings.
2018 年，他打出了迄今为止最好的一些网球成绩，并重返排名榜首。
He's currently third, just behind—you guessed it—Nadal and Federer.
他目前排名第三，仅次于——你猜对了——纳达尔和费德勒。
He looks at me, thinking about my question.
他看着我，思考着我的问题。
His face is shaded by thick stubble.
他的脸被浓密的胡茬遮住了。
Some players his height are so lean they look almost scrawny, but del Potro’s frame is solid, broad.
有些球员的身高太瘦，看起来几乎骨瘦如柴，但德尔波特罗的身材却很结实、宽阔。
His impossibly long limbs look like thick ropes, propelling him forward with fluid strength as he leads me from his hotel lobby out to a sunny courtyard that overlooks Miami’s Biscayne Bay.
他那长得不可思议的四肢看起来像粗绳子，用流畅的力量推动着他前进，他带着我从他的酒店大堂走到一个阳光明媚的庭院，俯瞰着迈阿密的比斯坎湾。
We sit at the water’s edge, but he keeps his back to the stunning view.
我们坐在水边，但他背对着令人惊叹的景色。
Behind us, south across the bay, the men’s final of the Miami Open Masters has just begun.
在我们身后，海湾南边，迈阿密公开大师赛男子决赛刚刚开始。
“I don’t fear my body anymore,” he says, finally.
“我不再害怕我的身体了，”他最后说道。
“But I’m tired.
“但是我累了。
It’s a big challenge for me to stay healthy for the entire year.
一整年保持健康对我来说是一个很大的挑战。
And that’s the most important thing—to just be able to play tennis.”
这是最重要的事情——能够打网球。”
A few days prior, there had been a scary moment in his match against Milos Raonic.
几天前，他与米洛斯·拉奥尼奇的比赛中出现了一个可怕的时刻。
Del Potro was chasing after a ball midpoint and fell full speed off the court and into the photographers' pit.
德尔波特罗在追球中点时全速摔出球场，掉进了摄影师的坑里。
He stayed there for a minute, doubled-over, his face hidden.
他在那儿呆了一会儿，弯下腰，把脸隐藏起来。
The crowd gasped and then stood silent, waiting, fearing the worst.
人群倒吸一口凉气，然后静静地站着，等待着，担心最坏的情况发生。
Someone sitting near me in the stands incanted in a whisper: “No no no no no, don’t let him be hurt, not again.” But del Potro finally emerged from the pit and returned to the line and, shakily, continued playing, narrowly winning the match.
看台上坐在我旁边的一个人低声念叨着：“不不不不不，不要让他受伤，不要再受伤了。”但德尔波特罗最终还是从坑里爬了出来，回到了线上，摇摇晃晃地继续比赛，险些赢得了比赛。
In a sideline interview, Raonic’s coach, Goran Ivanišević, dismissed del Potro’s extended stay in the photographers' pit as mere theatrics.
在一次场外采访中，拉奥尼奇的教练戈兰·伊万尼塞维奇（Goran Ivanišević）驳斥了德尔波特罗在摄影师坑中的长期停留，称其为纯粹的戏剧。
“Del Potro is acting like he is injured.
“德尔波特罗的表现就像他受伤了一样。
Walking slowly.
慢慢地走着。
He is a master of doing that.
他是这方面的大师。
Did that at Indian Wells as well, against Milos.”
在印第安维尔斯对阵米洛斯时也是如此。”
When I mention Ivanišević’s assessment, del Potro grimaces and shakes his head.
当我提到伊万尼舍维奇的评估时，德尔波特罗做了个鬼脸并摇了摇头。
“I’ve never done a fake injury or something like that.
“我从来没有做过假伤或者类似的事情。
If I look tired, in pain, it’s because this is true.
如果我看起来疲倦、痛苦，那是因为这是事实。
I have to do two or three hours of treatments every day just to be able to step onto a tennis court.
我每天必须做两三个小时的治疗才能踏上网球场。
My body is really worn out.
我的身体实在是太疲惫了。
This pain is part of my life, and I play the match with it.
这种痛苦是我生活的一部分，我与它打比赛。
And since no other player has gone through what I’ve gone through in terms of injury, setbacks, it’s hard for them to understand.”
由于没有其他球员经历过我所经历的伤病和挫折，所以他们很难理解。”
Doubts like Ivanišević’s stem from the fact that del Potro’s game embodies some disorienting contrasts, so much so that watching him play is, at times, an exercise in cognitive dissonance.
像伊万尼塞维奇这样的怀疑源于这样一个事实：德尔波特罗的比赛体现了一些令人迷失方向的对比，以至于观看他的比赛有时是一种认知失调的练习。
He walks the court with slow, languid strides, somehow looking both exhausted and elegant.
他在球场上迈着缓慢而慵懒的步伐，看上去既疲惫又优雅。
He strolls to the baseline and then, when the point begins, suddenly he’s leapt to meet the ball with a speed and agility that should be impossible for a man his size.
他慢悠悠地走到底线，然后，当得分开始时，他突然跳起接球，速度和敏捷性对于他这个身材的人来说是不可能的。
His exceptional movement allows him to get to shots that should have passed him; his balance when hitting a running forehand allows him to turn defense into offense instantly.
他出色的移动能力使他能够投进原本应该超过他的投篮；正手跑动时的平衡使他能够立即变守为攻。
He not only makes it to the ball but often returns a blistering winner of his own.
他不仅能传球，而且常常能以自己的方式打出制胜球。
He leaves his opponents in disbelief, looking back at him as if they’ve been tricked.
他让对手难以置信，回头看着他，就好像他们被欺骗了一样。
Del Potro also possesses one of the most powerful weapons in tennis: his flat forehand.
德尔波特罗还拥有网球运动中最强大的武器之一：平直的正手。
Most players rotate their trunk as the ball approaches, generating power from a tightly coiled core.
大多数球员在球接近时旋转躯干，从紧密盘绕的核心产生能量。
But del Potro stands with his body more open to the ball, swinging through it with a long, flexible, fully extended arm—a limb that seems to wave like a whip cracking at the ball.
但德尔波特罗站着时，身体对球更加开放，用一条长而灵活、完全伸展的手臂在球中挥动——这条手臂似乎像鞭子一样挥舞着击打球。
His windup is so graceful, his face always so still, that the stroke almost looks casual, like he’s just going to pass a friendly shot back to his opponent.
他的发球动作非常优雅，他的脸总是那么平静，击球看起来几乎是随意的，就像他只是要把一记友好的球传给对手一样。
He’s not.
他不是。
Every professional player has a flat forehand in their arsenal, but most have to use it with caution.
每个职业球员的武器库中都有平直的正手，但大多数人都必须谨慎使用。
The gambit: What you gain in power, you lose in precision.
策略：你获得的力量，你失去的精度。
Del Potro’s most disorienting ability may be the accuracy with which he hits a notoriously inaccurate shot.
德尔波特罗最令人迷惑的能力可能是他的投篮精准度，这是出了名的不准确。
“He’s so consistent,” his coach, Sebastián Prieto, tells me.
“他非常稳定，”他的教练塞巴斯蒂安·普列托告诉我。
“There are times in practice where he gets into a zone and I know he won’t miss a shot for hours.
“在训练中，有时他会进入一个区域，我知道他在几个小时内不会错过任何一个投篮。
I forget I know him and I’m just in awe.”
我忘记了我认识他，我只是敬畏他。”
Del Potro’s career began in steep ascent.
德尔波特罗的职业生涯开始了陡峭的上升。
At 19, he won his first ATP title in Stuttgart, then backed up that title with three more in a row.
19 岁时，他在斯图加特赢得了他的第一个 ATP 冠军，随后又连续三个冠军。
“I had long hair, and right before Stuttgart, I got a haircut like a new model,” he says with a wink, “and then I won four titles.
“我有一头长发，就在斯图加特之前，我剪了一个像新模特一样的发型，”他眨了眨眼睛说道，“然后我赢得了四个冠军。
After that, I began to feel a little start.”
从那以后，我开始有了一点开始的感觉。”
In 2009, he made it to the finals of the U.S. Open.
2009年，他闯入美国公开赛决赛。
There he faced Roger Federer, who was then playing for a record six U.S. Open titles in a row.
在那里，他面对的是罗杰·费德勒(Roger Federer)，费德勒当时正在创纪录地连续六次夺得美国公开赛冠军。
Twenty-year-old del Potro emerged from the tunnel at the start of the match looking anxious, nearly ill.
比赛开始时，二十岁的德尔波特罗从球员通道中走出来，看上去很焦虑，几乎生病了。
“I was so nervous!” he says.
“我太紧张了！”他说。
“I didn’t eat before the match because of nerves.
“由于紧张，我在比赛前没有吃东西。
All my country was watching, and the tennis world was watching, too.
我的整个国家都在观看，网球界也在观看。
And it was Roger’s sixth final in a row, and I was so young.
这是罗杰连续第六次进入决赛，而我还很年轻。
It was too much for me.”
这对我来说太过分了。”
They split the first two sets.
他们平分了前两盘。
Del Potro’s forehand was agitating Federer, keeping him pinned to the baseline, disrupting his ability to move around the court.
德尔波特罗的正手激怒了费德勒，将他固定在底线，破坏了他在球场上移动的能力。
Federer, typically able to remain icily calm even in the most high-pressure moments, began to unravel.
费德勒通常能够在最高压的时刻保持冰冷的冷静，但他开始崩溃。
In the third set, del Potro took his time deciding whether or not to challenge a line call.
在第三盘中，德尔波特罗花了很长时间决定是否挑战罚球线。
When his late challenge was granted, Federer’s pent-up frustration boiled over.
当他最后的挑战获得批准时，费德勒压抑已久的挫败感爆发了。
He began to argue with the chair umpire, who warned Federer to calm down.
他开始与主裁判发生争执，主裁判警告费德勒冷静下来。
”Don't tell me to be quiet, okay?
“别叫我安静，好吗？
When I want to talk, I talk.
当我想说话时，我就说话。
I don't give a shit what he said,” Federer yelled back.
我根本不在乎他说的话。”费德勒吼道。
“Don’t tell me the fucking rules.”
“别告诉我他妈的规则。”
That outburst was the moment Delpo had the match.
那次爆发就是德尔波上场比赛的那一刻。
“I lost the respect, the fear, I had for Roger,” del Potro says.
“我失去了对罗杰的尊重和恐惧，”德尔波特罗说。
“I admire him a lot, but after the third set, I thought, We are the same!
“我很佩服他，但在第三盘之后，我想，我们是一样的！
We are fighting for the same trophy.
我们正在为同一个奖杯而战。
And I was playing really good tennis, and I say, Maybe it’s my only chance to win a title like this.
我的网球打得非常好，我说，也许这是我赢得这样的冠军的唯一机会。
I changed my mindset.
我改变了心态。
When he was angry with the umpire, I said to myself, Okay, it’s time to play at the same level as him.
当他对裁判生气时，我对自己说，好吧，是时候和他发挥同样的水平了。
After that set I played much better than him.”
那盘之后我打得比他好得多。”
Del Potro went on to win the title in five sets.
德尔波特罗最终在五盘比赛中赢得了冠军。
He remains one of only three men to win a Grand Slam outside of the Big Four in the past 15 years.
他仍然是过去 15 年除四大之外仅有的三名赢得大满贯的人之一。
“It was a crazy moment for me, and after, my confidence was in the highest level of my career.
“这对我来说是一个疯狂的时刻，之后我的信心达到了我职业生涯的最高水平。
And I felt really good with my tennis game and strong physically.”
我对自己的网球比赛感觉非常好，而且身体也很强壮。”
A few months later, del Potro was gone entirely from the sport.
几个月后，德尔波特罗完全退出了这项运动。
First, it was his right wrist.
首先，是他的右手腕。
“I was number four in the world," he says.
“我当时世界排名第四，”他说。
"I had surgery after the Australian Open.
“澳大利亚公开赛后我接受了手术。
I lost that year recovering.” When he returned to the tour, the pain began again, this time with the left wrist.
那一年我失去了康复。”当他回到巡演时，疼痛再次开始，这次是左手腕。
“I had two more surgeries, but it didn’t help.
“我又做了两次手术，但没有效果。
I was close to quitting tennis because I couldn’t deal with the problem.
我差点就放弃网球了，因为我无法解决这个问题。
I got depressed.
我很沮丧。
I was young, but I was really sad every day.
我还年轻，但我每天都很伤心。
I started looking forward to having a different life because I was suffering so much with my problems.” As he describes this time to me, his demeanor shifts.
我开始期待过一种不同的生活，因为我的问题给我带来了很多痛苦。”当他向我描述这一次时，他的态度发生了变化。
It’s as if these memories live just under the skin, emerging at the slightest mention.
就好像这些记忆就存在于皮肤之下，稍稍提及就会浮现出来。
“During 2014, I was trying to fix my problems doing different treatments, seeing different doctors, doing everything I could.
“2014 年，我试图通过不同的治疗、看不同的医生、尽我所能来解决我的问题。
Finally, in 2015, I say, It’s enough for me.
最后，在2015年，我说，这对我来说已经足够了。
It’s time to close this suffering.
是时候结束这种痛苦了。
I went home to Tandil and I start to think, What else could I do if I’m not a tennis player anymore?
我回到坦迪尔的家，开始思考，如果我不再是一名网球运动员，我还能做什么？
”
”
The more he repeats himself, the clearer the image of this painful time becomes.
他越重复，这段痛苦时光的形象就变得越清晰。
It’s as if the repetition of the words is a spell, conjuring up the feeling, rendering it nearly visible, an object of sorrow sitting between us.
就好像这些词的重复是一种咒语，召唤出这种感觉，使其几乎可见，成为我们之间悲伤的对象。
“Really close.
“真的很接近。
Really, really close.” He looks at that space between us.
真的，真的很接近。”他看着我们之间的那个空间。
“Two months at home doing nothing, depressed.
“在家两个月无所事事，心情郁闷。
Those were really horrible days.
那真是可怕的日子。
I couldn’t move my wrist.
我无法移动手腕。
I couldn’t run.
我跑不了。
I would just wake up and look at the time on my phone.
我会醒来并看看手机上的时间。
I was suffering a lot with myself.”
我自己也承受了很多痛苦。”
He’s quiet for a moment, then looks me in the eyes.
他沉默了一会儿，然后看着我的眼睛。
He wants me to understand without him having to say more.
他希望我无需他多说就能理解。
In the silence, we share what feels like a second of acknowledgement.
在沉默中，我们分享了一秒钟的谢意。
Although we couldn’t be more physically opposite (I’m a full two feet shorter than del Potro, no Grand Slams to my name), the need to constantly manage pain is deeply embedded in both our lives.
尽管我们在身体上完全相反（我比德尔波特罗矮了整整两英尺，我没有大满贯），但不断控制疼痛的需要深深地植根于我们的生活中。
I have a chronic pain disorder, and in our time together, I’ve seen him wordlessly observe how my movement accommodates my physical discomfort.
我患有慢性疼痛症，在我们在一起的时候，我看到他无言地观察我的动作如何适应我的身体不适。
Instinctually, he hears the background noise of everyday pain and communicates to me this shared awareness through many subtle acts of consideration.
本能地，他听到了日常痛苦的背景噪音，并通过许多微妙的考虑行为向我传达了这种共同的意识。
When we walk somewhere together, he always walks beside me, carefully matching his long-legged pace to my considerably slower steps.
当我们一起去某个地方散步时，他总是走在我身边，小心翼翼地将他的长腿步伐与我慢得多的步伐配合起来。
He never rushes ahead.
他从不急于求成。
Without a word or a glance, he offers his hand to steady me when we go up or down a flight of stairs.
当我们上下楼梯时，他一言不发，也不看一眼，伸出手扶住我。
He leans way down to hug me around the waist when others his height simply grab me by the shoulders and smash me against their sternums.
他俯身抱住我的腰，而其他和他一样高的人只是抓住我的肩膀，把我撞到他们的胸骨上。
“But I had to go on.
“但我必须继续下去。
Something very deep in my heart was telling me to try once again.
我内心深处的某种东西告诉我要再试一次。
My friends and family gave me the energy to call the doctor for the third surgery.
我的朋友和家人给了我力量打电话给医生进行第三次手术。
I came back to tennis in 2016.”
2016年我重返网球界。”
Earlier in the week, we are walking through the players’ lounge on the tennis grounds.
本周早些时候，我们正在网球场上的球员休息室散步。
We turn a corner and see Roger Federer.
我们拐过一个拐角，看到了罗杰·费德勒。
He’s at the other end of a long corridor, moving away from us, out toward the practice courts with his team.
他在一条长走廊的另一端，远离我们，和他的球队一起走向训练场。
He sees del Potro and does a near-comical double-take.
他看到了德尔波特罗，几乎滑稽地看了一眼。
The two competitors shout exuberant greetings to each other, laughing and waving.
两位参赛者互相高喊着热烈的问候，笑着挥手致意。
I expect the two men—busy and on separate trajectories—to keep going on their own ways.
我希望这两个人——忙碌且处于不同的轨道上——继续走自己的路。
But they don’t.
但他们没有。
Federer waits, laughing more, jabbering with del Potro as we walk the long walk toward him.
费德勒等待着，笑得更多了，当我们朝他走去时，费德勒和德尔波特罗叽叽喳喳地聊着。
Once the two men are close enough, they clap each other on the back, greeting each other again with tremendous warmth.
一旦两个人靠得足够近，他们就会拍拍对方的背，再次以极大的温暖互相打招呼。
Federer turns to me and asks, “How much trouble has Delpo caused you today?”
费德勒转向我问道：“德尔波今天给你带来了多少麻烦？”
Del Potro shrugs, flashing a familiar expression of his—a closed-lipped half-smile at the midpoint between sly and sheepish.
德尔波特罗耸耸肩，露出了他熟悉的表情——紧闭嘴唇的半微笑，介于狡猾和羞怯之间。
The two men turn back to each other and talk happily for a minute more before wishing each other well and parting ways.
两人回头愉快地交谈了一分钟，然后互相祝福并分道扬镳。
The familiarity and tenderness of this exchange is not always present when they compete against each other.
这种交流的熟悉和温柔并不总是在他们相互竞争时出现。
In a tense battle for this year’s Indian Wells title, their emotions erupted on the court.
在今年印第安维尔斯冠军争夺战中，他们的情绪在球场上爆发。
They sniped and glared.
他们狙击并怒目而视。
Both made petty complaints to the chair umpire.
两人都向主裁提出了一些小小的抱怨。
But when the match was over—del Potro winning in a third-set tiebreak to take his first-ever title at the Master’s level—the two men embraced at the net with the same warmth and respect I’d witnessed.
但当比赛结束时——德尔波特罗在第三盘抢七中获胜，获得了他在大师级别的第一个冠军头衔——两人在网前拥抱，就像我所目睹的那样热情和尊重。
Their dynamic is like a sibling rivalry, where their genuine affection and understanding off-court grants them permission to get more visibly and vocally annoyed with each other on court.
他们的动态就像兄弟姐妹之间的竞争，他们在场外真诚的感情和理解使他们能够在场上更加明显和口头地对对方感到恼火。
But the irritation stays on court.
但球场上的愤怒依然存在。
When Federer and his longtime agent, Tony Godsick, broke off from IMG to found their own agency, del Potro was one of the first athletes they signed.
当费德勒和他的长期经纪人托尼·戈德西克脱离 IMG 并成立自己的经纪公司时，德尔波特罗是他们签约的第一批运动员之一。
Federer talks to me about del Potro with the slightly protective tone of an older brother; del Potro responds with the prodding tone of the younger.
费德勒和我谈论德尔波特罗时，语气里带着一丝保护欲，就像一个哥哥一样。德尔波特罗用年轻人的催促语气回应道。
“We’ve played some extremely tight matches,” Federer tells me later.
“我们打了一些非常激烈的比赛，”费德勒后来告诉我。
“The [2012 London] Olympic match was epic for both of us.
“[2012 年伦敦]奥运会的比赛对我们俩来说都是史诗般的。
It was emotional, highly emotional, and of course ’09 [U.S. Open finals] was highly emotional.
这是令人激动的、高度激动的，当然还有09年的[美国]。公开赛决赛]情绪激动。
He always tries to impose his game on me, and I try to avoid it by mixing it up all the time.
他总是试图把他的游戏强加给我，而我则试图通过一直混合它来避免这种情况。
I’m like the slippery fish that he’s trying to grab on to, and I’m always trying to wriggle out of his lock.”
我就像一条滑溜溜的鱼，他试图抓住我，而我总是试图挣脱他的束缚。”
Their fight for control extends to the crowd.
他们对控制权的争夺延伸到了人群。
Del Potro, one of the most popular players on tour, enjoys a wealth of fan devotion and is one of the few who can split the support from the stands when playing Federer.
德尔波特罗是巡回赛上最受欢迎的球员之一，拥有丰富的球迷忠诚度，也是少数几个在对阵费德勒时能够在看台上分担支持的球员之一。
“I’m always looking for the right time to take a little power in the game,” del Potro explains.
“我一直在寻找合适的时机在比赛中发挥一点力量，”德尔波特罗解释道。
“Or maybe he’s always used to having the public on his side, to have all the fans.
“或者也许他总是习惯于让公众站在他一边，拥有所有的粉丝。
But when we play each other, it’s much closer to 50-50.
但当我们互相比赛时，比分更接近50-50。
He’s not used to that.
他不习惯这样。
And I know that.
我知道这一点。
When the match is really tight, I use the energy from the crowd to my advantage.”
当比赛非常激烈时，我会利用观众的能量来发挥自己的优势。”
“When I see Delpo,” Federer says, “he’s always very caring.
“当我看到德尔波时，”费德勒说，“他总是非常关心我。
And when he asks, ‘How are you doing?’ it’s not just to be nice.
当他问“你好吗？”时，这不仅仅是为了表现友善。
He really does care very dearly about your answer.
他确实非常关心你的回答。
It’s not just like, ‘Okay, see you later, I’ve got to go.’ But I hope that Juan Martín doesn’t try to please everybody.
这不仅仅是“好吧，待会儿见，我得走了。”但我希望胡安·马丁不要试图取悦所有人。
I can’t please everybody.
我无法取悦所有人。
If you’re trying to please everybody, that’s greasy.
如果你想取悦所有人，那就太油腻了。
I think Juan Martín is very aware that he has an important role to play for the fans, especially for South America, and he takes it seriously.”
我认为胡安·马丁非常清楚他可以为球迷发挥重要作用，尤其是南美球迷，并且他认真对待这一点。”
Del Potro credits his fans for much of his current success on court, especially with last year’s impossible comeback win at the U.S. Open against Dominic Thiem (at the time, ranked sixth).
德尔波特罗将他目前在球场上的成功归功于他的球迷，尤其是去年在美国公开赛上逆转击败多米尼克·蒂姆（当时排名第六）。
“I was very sick,” del Potro recalls.
“我病得很重，”德尔波特罗回忆道。
“I lost the first two sets so quickly.
“我很快就输掉了前两盘。
I felt really, really bad.
我感觉非常非常糟糕。
I couldn't breathe, and I wasn’t in good condition to compete with Thiem.”
我无法呼吸，而且我的状态也不好与蒂姆竞争。”
Sebastián Prieto shakes his head in disbelief as he recalls that match.
回忆起那场比赛，塞巴斯蒂安·普列托难以置信地摇摇头。
“I thought he was going to lose 6-2, 6-2, 6-2.
“我以为他会以 6-2、6-2、6-2 的比分输掉比赛。
In the locker room, he had a red face and his eyes were nearly swollen shut.
更衣室里，他脸色通红，眼睛都肿得快睁不开了。
He took medicine, but it wasn’t enough.”
他吃了药，但还不够。”
“And with all my fans cheering for me,” del Potro continues, “I was feeling really bad about myself and for all the fans, too.”
“当我所有的球迷为我欢呼时，”德尔波特罗继续说道，“我对自己和所有球迷都感到非常难过。”
“Yeah, because they were there for me, cheering for me, and I couldn’t give back to them with my tennis.
“是的，因为他们在我身边，为我加油，而我无法用我的网球来回报他们。
I got all my energy to keep fighting from them.
我用尽全力继续与他们战斗。
After three hours, it was an emotions match and not a tennis match.
三小时后，这是一场情感比赛，而不是网球比赛。
And I like it.
我喜欢它。
At the end, I knew I could still play more sets because I felt unbelievable.”
最后，我知道我还能打更多盘，因为我感觉难以置信。”
He takes a moment, then continues: “And then I beat Roger the next round, also an emotional match.”
他停顿了一下，然后继续说道：“然后我在下一轮击败了罗杰，这也是一场激动人心的比赛。”
The sun is setting in Key Biscayne.
太阳正在比斯坎湾落下。
It’s the final days of the Miami Open, which, after 30 years, will leave this overgrown, gorgeous island location for a sanitized upgrade to the Hard Rock Stadium.
这是迈阿密公开赛的最后几天，30 年后，迈阿密公开赛将离开这个杂草丛生、华丽的岛屿，前往经过消毒升级的硬石体育场。
The grounds already feel abandoned.
场地已经感觉被遗弃了。
I see no one as I’m walking the winding paths that lead out to the practice courts.
当我走在通往练习场的蜿蜒小路上时，我没有看到任何人。
Overhead are hundreds of parrots cawing loudly.
头顶上有数百只鹦鹉大声鸣叫。
I stare up into the palm trees, listening, and then suddenly I hear a second loud noise—shouts from a nearby crowd.
我抬头凝视着棕榈树，倾听着，然后突然听到第二声巨响——附近人群的喊叫声。
I follow the sound and it leads to Court 4, where del Potro has just arrived for his practice.
我顺着声音望去，它通向四号球场，德尔波特罗刚刚抵达那里进行训练。
The stands are packed with fans dressed in blue and white, waving the Argentinian flag.
看台上挤满了身着蓝白相间的球迷，挥舞着阿根廷国旗。
Del Potro waves to the crowd, which morphs into a wall of cell phones, ready to record his every move on court.
德尔波特罗向人群挥手致意，人群变成了一堵手机墙，准备记录他在球场上的一举一动。
He’s only a few minutes into his warm-up before the fans start singing the familiar refrain heard at all his matches.
他只热身了几分钟，球迷们就开始唱起他在所有比赛中听到的熟悉的副歌。
“Ole, ole ole ole, Delpo, Delpo!” At an earlier practice, a young girl started weeping at the mere sight of him.
“奥莱，奥莱奥莱，德尔波，德尔波！”在早些时候的一次训练中，一名年轻女孩一看到他就开始哭泣。
She held her arms out to him until he came over to comfort her.
她向他伸出双臂，直到他走过来安慰她。
It’s not pity for his injuries that inspires so much devotion from his fans; it’s how he’s recovered from them.
并不是因为对他的伤病感到遗憾才激发了他的粉丝如此多的忠诚；而是因为他受伤了。这就是他从这些痛苦中恢复过来的方式。
“I take the really sad moments with me to the court,” del Potro says.
“我会把那些真正悲伤的时刻带到球场上，”德尔波特罗说。
“I’m able to transform all that energy, and from it create strength, faith, and a will to honor everything I’ve gone through.
“我能够转化所有的能量，并从中创造出力量、信念和尊重我所经历的一切的意愿。
I use the memory of those painful moments as a weapon to keep fighting.”
我用那些痛苦时刻的记忆作为继续战斗的武器。”
Soon he’ll leave Miami and return to his hometown of Tandil for a well-earned rest.
很快他将离开迈阿密，返回家乡坦迪尔，好好休息。
Tandil was founded around a mysterious boulder that teetered precariously on the edge of a mountain, defying gravity.
坦迪尔是围绕着一块神秘的巨石而建的，这块巨石在山边摇摇欲坠，不受地心引力的影响。
The rock eventually fell, splitting into two at the bottom of a canyon.
岩石最终落下，在峡谷底部分裂成两部分。
A replica of the rock was built and put back in the same spot, this time engineered not to fall again from the mountain.
人们建造了一块岩石的复制品，并将其放回原处，这次的设计是为了防止再次从山上掉下来。
The rock is cemented there, no longer by luck but by science and technology.
岩石固结在那里，不再是靠运气，而是靠科学和技术。
In Argentina, del Potro is often referred to as the Tower of Tandil.
在阿根廷，德尔波特罗通常被称为坦迪尔之塔。
He has fallen, been put back together, reconstructed, and now stands stronger than ever.
他已经倒下，又被重新组装、重建，现在比以往任何时候都更加坚强。
He’s not an underdog anymore.
他不再是一个失败者了。
He’s not fragile.
他并不脆弱。
A kid in the stands holds up a sign that says “Delpo the Gentle Giant,” and I think, Sure, kid.
看台上的一个孩子举着一块牌子，上面写着“温柔的巨人德尔波”，我想，当然，孩子。
This is the kind giant who grinds opponents’ bones for his bread.
这是一个为了面包而磨碎对手骨头的善良巨人。
I take my place at the edge of the court.
我在球场边缘就座。
The sun is low enough now that it shines directly in my eyes, and so I close them and just listen.
现在太阳已经足够低了，它直接照在我的眼睛里，所以我闭上眼睛，只是倾听。
The sound of the ball off his racket is unlike anyone else’s.
他的球拍发出的声音与其他人不同。
It’s a cannon blast, then another, another, a steady booming thrum, the ball repeatedly rocketing off the sweet spot on his strings, again and again, without fail.
这是一声炮响，然后是一声、另一声、一声稳定的隆隆声，球不断地从他弦上的最佳位置飞出，一次又一次，从未失败过。
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