Juan Martin del Potro had a hilarious response as he came out to publicly deny "totally false" rumours. The 2009 US Open champion retired from professional tennis three years ago and played a farewell exhibition match with Novak Djokovic last December.

Del Potro is currently nominated to be inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame. But it was his private life that came into the spotlight in recent days, as the Argentine star was shocked to wake up to congratulatory messages from those who thought he was having a baby.

Taking to X (formerly known as Twitter) on Thursday, the former world No. 3 tweeted: "Today I woke up to several messages congratulating me because I was going to be a dad.

"I tell you that the news is totally FALSE!!! I don't even know that person either, haha. Greetings to everyone and thanks anyway for the good wishes."

One fan jokingly responded to Del Potro's tweet referencing his close bond with Djokovic.

"I thought you already had a son and it was nole," they wrote. The 37-year-old replied: "That's my bro."

Djokovic jetted to Buenos Aires last year to help Del Potro get the send-off he deserved after a heartbreaking end to his career at the 2022 Argentina Open.

At the time, Del Potro was returning from a three-year injury layoff. But when he arrived at the tournament, he admitted it was likely going to be more of a farewell than a comeback, as he was still struggling with his knee.

The former world No. 3 lost to Federico Delbonis in the first round and was in tears as he placed his headband on the net in a symbolic gesture. Del Potro later shared his hopes of returning to official competition at the 2023 US Open, but he was soon forced to abandon those plans.

The Argentina Open defeat to Delbonis was ultimately the final match of his professional career, but Del Potro enjoyed a farewell exhibition clash with Djokovic, dubbed 'The Last Challenge', in December 2024.

The 37-year-old now has a chance of being inducted into the Hall of Fame. Del Potro appeared on the player ballot alongside Roger Federer and Svetlana Kuznetsova.

The Argentine has 22 career titles, including the 2009 US Open under his belt. He also finished runner-up at the 2018 US Open and won two Olympic medals during his time on the tour.