WATCH: Del Potro elevates training ahead of ATP return

Juan Martin del Potro ATP Roland Garros 2019

February 4, 2022

ATP Tennis Players, Tennis News, Tennis Tournaments

WATCH: Juan Martin del Potro elevates training ahead of ATP return

Juan Martin del Potro returns to competition for the first in over two and a half years next week at his home ATP event in Buenos Aires, the 2022 Argentina Open.

The 2009 US Open champion and former world number three has not played an ATP tournament since Queen’s in June 2019.

In the two years and eight months since, del Potro has undergone no less than four surgeries on his right knee, the most recent being in Chicago, USA in March of last year.

Now ranked 757th in the world, the 33-year-old took a wildcard to return on the clay of his home capital.

So good to see again the heaviest forehand on tour! @delpotrojuan

(? teamdelpo) pic.twitter.com/i0MjsJO2PQ

— We Are Tennis (@WeAreTennis) February 4, 2022

In his only other appearance at the event in Buenos Aires, del Potro last played there as a 17-year-old in 2006 while ranked 155th in the world.

He faced former world number one and 2003 Roland Garros champion Juan Carlos Ferrero that day, claiming a set off the Spaniard in a 2-6, 6-4, 4-6 loss.

After repeated injuries throughout his career, del Potro peaked in the rankings at third in the world in August 2018 soon after a maiden Masters 1000 title at Indian Wells in March, and just before his run to that year’s US Open final, nine years after his 2009 New York triumph.

As mentioned, del Potro was supremely unfortunate to be sidelined by injury just 10 months later while still at a high ranking of 12th in the world.