Former US Open champion Juan Martin del Potro will miss the upcoming ATP World Tour Finals due to an ongoing knee injury, according to media sources.
The 30-year-old hasn’t played on the tour since suffering a heavy fall during the Shanghai Rolex Masters. A MRI Scan found that Del Potro has fractured his right patella bone. Also known as the kneecap. The Argentinian has recently been spotted walking around with a splint on his leg in the hope that he could stage a swift recovery to return to action before the season ends.
It now appears that Del Potro’s hopes of playing in the season-ending event is over. According to newspaper La Nación, which is one of the most prestigious in Argentina, he is set to pull out to avoid risking any further damage. Del Potro had qualified for the ATP Finals for the first time since 2013 following what has been a successful season. On the tour he has won titles in Indian Wells and Acapulco. He also reached the final of the US Open and rose to a ranking high of third in August. In total, he has won 47 out of 60 matches played.
According to La Nación journalist Sebastián Torok, Del Potro has been told that it will take between two and four months for him to recover fully. Although the injury isn’t severe enough to require surgery. Something that could have sidelined him for six months. He has been advised to end his season by medical expert Jorge Batista, who currently works for football team Bocca Juniors. The decision has been agreed by all members of Del Potro’s team.
There is yet to be any official confirmation from the ATP or Del Potro’s team regarding his withdrawal.
As a result of the misfortunes, Kei Nishikori moves into the eighth and final qualifying spot for the ATP Finals. He is currently 145 points ahead of John Isner.
The ATP World Tour Finals will get underway on November 11th at the O2 Arena in London. The end-of-season tournament has a prize money pool of $8 million.