How long until Del Potro’s return to the circuit?

Juan Martin del Potro He is one of the three most important tennis players in Argentine history. Although each one can choose the place in the ranking, it is undoubted that he shares the podium with Guillermo Vilas and Gabriela Sabatini. His achievements support him since he did not have a pending account: he became champion of a Grand Slam (US Open 2009) -and played another final-, he won a Masters 1000 (Indian Wells 2018) and won another 20 tournaments divided between ATP 250 and ATP 500. Not to mention that he was part of the team that won the Davis Cup and of the two Olympic medals that he hung (silver in Rio 2016 and bronze in London 2012). In addition, it came to occupy the third place in the ranking. And all that in the middle of a career full of serious injuries and in the era of the Big3! However, the suffering seems to have come to an end, as he showed himself a few weeks ago at the United States Open with great enthusiasm to return to competition. Consequently, we analyze their possible return in a video on our Youtube channel.

The tandilense is in the final part of his recovery in the right knee. After having undergone four surgeries in the area in the last two years, it seems that the last one (in March 2021 in Chicago) hit the mark. Delpo was training normally with some Argentine players in Miami, where he rests for a few months and faces the return to the circuit. Indeed, he traveled to New York during the last edition of the US Open to participate in an exhibition with John McEnroe. Beyond the fact that it was an informal practice, those present affirmed that the quality of the Argentine remains intact. So much so that the American legend told him that if he got healthy he would be able to return to the top 10. Without a doubt, major words. It also received the praise of José Luis Clerc. “It’s the toughest game of my career because I don’t know how to beat him, but I know I’m going to achieve it”, he assured in an interview with the television network ESPN, which invited him to comment on a match session at Arthur Ashe.

WHEN COULD I RETURN?

Impossible to put an exact date. Not even Del Potro knows when he will return and when he will have the medical discharge to compete again in the elite. Although the ranking places him at 750, he will not be short of invitations from the tournament organizers and he could also make use of the protected ranking in nine competitions.

“In Argentina I have played very little throughout my career and there is a tournament at the beginning of the year. There are other alternatives that touch the emotional side and I will go that way”he said in his last public appearance in the Big Apple. Although he played the ATP in Buenos Aires in 2006 (he lost to Juan Carlos Ferrero), then he chose to travel to other latitudes in order to prioritize his comfort towards the hard courts. However, 2022 could be a key season. Knowing that the future is uncertain, Delpo does not want to miss more opportunities to play in front of his public and, in that sense, the ATP 250 of Córdoba and the Argentina Open appear strongly on the horizon. In turn, participation in the Australian Open seems unfeasible for two factors: a long trip with quarantine included plus the fact of playing the best of five sets after two and a half years without officially competing. Martin Hughes, an executive at Tennium, the company that owns the Argentina Open, told me – in an interview in March – that if the door was open, they would go to great lengths to have the Torre de Tandil.

WHAT DOES IT ADD TO THE CIRCUIT?

Del Potro is one of the few players who knew how to compete against the Big3 in decisive matches. In fact, he added 17 wins against all three (seven against Federer, six against Nadal and four against Djokovic). In addition, the best right hand on the circuit would return and would represent another share of hope for Argentine tennis, which repeatedly showed that it is in good health. Now, it will be time to wait. There are four months to go, but the return operation is already underway.