Farewell, Pico: A look back at Juan Monaco's career

Juan Monaco, one of the ATP World Tour’s most popular and consistent players for more than a decade, announced his retirement this week on social media.

Some of his peers past and present wished him well as the 33-year-old prepares to start a new chapter.

Playing in Rome this week, Monaco’s fellow Argentine, Juan Martin del Potro, shared his thoughts.

Monaco reached a career-high No. 10 in the rankings in 2012 and won nine singles titles. He captured his first one in Buenos Aires in 2007 by defeating Alessio di Mauro in the final.

Monaco added two more tournament victories to his title haul that year before experiencing a rather ignominious streak: losing his next seven final-round appearances over a four-year span.

He finally broke back into the winner’s circle in 2012, winning the title in Vina del Mar, Chile. Making up for lost time, Monaco captured three more titles over the year, including his first—and only—hard-court tournament victory, the Malaysian Open.

The final singles title of his career came at the U.S. Clay Court Men’s Championships in 2016. Coming into the tournament with his ranking at No. 148 due to struggles with his health, Monaco defeated four seeded players on his way to the title.

Over the course of his career, Monaco also won three doubles titles, with his most recent one coming with his good friend Rafael Nadal in Doha in 2015.

Monaco was also a stalwart for Argentina in Davis Cup, and helped the team capture the title last year. He left it all out on the court, making magic on the court and delighting fans along the way.