Juan Martin del Potro is finally set to return to tennis. After another wrist surgery last year, the powerful Argentine has been sitting out of action for a long time now. He announced over a video that he will be returning to tennis at the tournament in Delray Beach.
Del Potro’s Announcement
In the video, del Potro said he’s been waiting for this moment to finally play for a long time. He planned on coming back sometime in the first two months of the season. He said that there were plenty of times where he felt down and went through many mood swings which nearly made him want to quit.
He continued and began to talk about his team who was there for him when he needed them. They helped him rule out any thoughts of retirement and were always encouraging. The 2009 US Open champion said he’s unsure of how many tournaments he will play this year depending on his health and condition.
Finally, he said that it’s already a big achievement for him to finally step back onto the court. The 27-year-old Tandil native is excited to see everyone that has supported him throughout his journey back.
The Delray Beach Field
For an ATP 250 event, the Delray Beach Open has quite a strong field. The field so far is headlined by del Potro himself and Australian Open semifinalist Milos Raonic. Former champion Tommy Haas and last year’s champion Ivo Karlovic are also there as well. Kevin Anderson is another big server in the field.
Grigor Dimitrov skipped out on his home tournament in Sofia and Rotterdam next week and is training in Stockholm right now. He’ll make his February debut in Delray Beach. Bernard Tomic is looking to continue his rise up the rankings with a strong showing in Florida. Amongst the Americans, Sam Querrey and Steve Johnson will be in the field.