Juan Martin Del Potro’s fairy-tale return to the tour isn’t without its struggles as the former US Open champion embarks on his first clay court tournament since 2013.
The Argentine missed almost a year of the tour between 2015-2016 after undergoing surgery on his wrist for the third time in his career. Returning to action at the Delray Beach Open this year, Del Potro enjoyed a dream run by reaching the semifinals of the tournament. It was a delightful return to the tour for the hugely popular Argentine player, however, he still faces more hard work to return to his best ability. At this weeks Miami Open he suffered a second round loss to compatriot Horacio Zeballos. During the all-Argentine encounter on Friday, the former world No.4 was bothered by his troublesome wrist.
“I was suffering a little bit. It was worse than in my first match, but I hope it’s nothing dangerous. I will see what’s going on after today and see if I can practise tomorrow, if I can hit a few backhands. It’d be a surprise for me to win a match at this moment because I’m not 100% yet. But I’m here playing tennis. That’s good for me.” Del Potro said after his loss on Friday.
The pain is worry for the Argentine and his army of fans, however, in perspective it is expected. The comeback king is aware of how slow it can take to return to full fitness after being plagued by wrist injuries throughout his career. In a extensive Facebook post on Saturday, Del Potro admitted that ‘it would be strange not to feel pain anymore’ in light of what he has experienced. He also labelled himself as the biggest challenge.
“My biggest challenge is myself. Improving my tennis is not the main thing, but to withstand the mental and physical effort I make to get to play. The goal is to to be healthy again. I have to go through this and overcome it”. He wrote.
The next challenge for Del Potro will be the European clay. The 27-year-old hasn’t played a match on clay since his loss to Benoit Paire at the 2013 Rome Masters. During his career, Del Potro have won two ATP title on clay (both in 2008).
“The recovery process has ups and downs but the major obstacles are thing of the past. I’m getting closer to my goal. In a few days I will start my preparation for the clay season. It’s four years since the last time I played on clay. That will be another challenge”. Del Potro admitted.
The Argentine also revealed that he will make some announcements in the near future concerning his team, prompting speculation that he will announce his new coach.
