Argentinian Juan Martin Del Potro will not play the Rio tournament next week, organizers announced on Friday. A package that could prefigure the official announcement of the end of his career, undermined by injuries.
“Unfortunately, Juan Martin Del Potro will not be playing the Rio Open (…) We wish him a lot of success for his future, the doors of the tournament will always be open to him”, can we read on the official account of the ATP 500 tournament from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Del Potro, 33, made his big comeback Tuesday at the Buenos Aires tournament, in front of his home crowd, after almost three years of absence due to a serious knee injury. A return marked by a defeat in two sets 6-1, 6-3 in the 1st round against his compatriot Federico Delbonis (N.42 in the world).
“I’m putting tennis on the back burner until my leg is better. If it works, I will put other cards on the table, “said the former world No.3 at the end of this defeat, adding that he had” no certainty about Rio “where he benefited from an invitation.
“We may never see each other again”
“Today I gave everything I had, down to the last point. I’m happy because my last game, probably, took place on a court and not giving a press conference, “he told the public after his defeat. “We may never see each other again,” added “Delpo”, with tears in his eyes.
His statements, followed by his package for Rio de Janeiro, look very much like a retirement that does not mean his name. Although for now, Del Potro has yet to officially utter the word.
The 1.98m colossus, nicknamed “The Tower of Tandil”, has a Grand Slam title to his name at the 2009 US Open where he beat Rafael Nadal in the semi-finals and then Roger Federer in the final. He also won the Davis Cup in 2016 with Argentina, as well as two Olympic medals, silver at Rio-2016 and bronze at London-2012.
