Del Potro welcomed as a hero in his home town

The newly-crowned US Open champion Juan Martin Del Potro waves at people gathered to see him from a fire engine, following his arrival in his hometown Tandil, a city of 120,000 inhabitants in Buenos Aires province. Del Potro was welcomed home by around 40,000 people on Thursday, a third of the population of his home town, a local official said. (AFP/Daniel Garcia)

BUENOS AIRES, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) -- Thousands of people from Argentine city of Tandil, located 360km to Buenos Aires, welcomed on Thursday champion of the U.S. Tennis Open Juan Martin del Potro.

Del Potro was acclaimed by the people, in the southeast of Buenos Aires province, where there are other outstanding tennis players like Mariano Zabaleta and Juan Monaco.

Accompanied by his friends, Del Potro arrived to the entrance roundabout of the city and started to pass by the street of the city abroad a firemen car to greet the people.

Del Potro, to be 23 years old on Wednesday, was excited to the point of crying for the warm welcome he had and said that "it has the same value as winning a tennis tournament".

"I do not have words but of thanking. Tandil is my city and I do not change it for any other in the world. I was able to play the last ball thinking on you," Del Potro said.

Del Potro, Number 5 of the world rankings, defeated on Monday Swiss Roger Frederer 3-6, 7-6 (5), 4-6, 7-6 (4) and 6-2, after a match of four hours and six minutes in New York City.

Argentina has not won a Grand Slam tournament since 2004, when Gaston Gaudio won five sets to Guillermo Coria in Roland Garros tournament.

After Del Potro triumph, Argentina has achieved seven titles in the four biggest tournaments. The other winners were Guillermo Vilas (Roland Garros 1977, US Open 1977 and Australia 1978 and 1979) andGabriela Sabatini (US Open 1990).