'I’ve been training really hard'Juan Martin del Potro aiming for February return at Argentina Open before playing in Rio

Published 16/12/2021 at 22:19 GMT

Former world No. 3 Juan Martin del Potro is set to play again on the ATP Tour next year. The 2009 US Open champion has been out of action since the summer of 2019, and has had to undergo more surgeries to try to get back to full health. He is hopeful that he will make his return in his home country of Argentina early in 2022.

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Image credit: Eurosport

Juan Martin del Potro is set to make his long-awaited return to the ATP Tour in February 2022.

The former world No. 3 has not played competitively since the summer of 2019, with his career recently blighted by injuries and surgeries.

In March he underwent surgery for the fourth time on his right knee, with hopes of playing at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

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While that timeline did not materialise, Del Porto has continued on the comeback trail and is set to return on the South American swing in February.

“I’ve been training really hard, some days are better than others but always with the hope of coming back to compete early next year,” he wrote on Instagram.

“It would be very special to come back in Buenos Aires and then play in Rio. As you can imagine, I’m giving my all every day so we can meet again very soon. I’ll keep you all updated with my progress. Take care.”

The Argentina Open takes place in Buenos Aires from February 5, followed by the Rio Open on February 12.

Del Porto has won 22 titles on the ATP Tour, the biggest of which was the US Open in 2009 when he beat Roger Federer in the final.

He also made the final in New York in 2018, losing to Novak Djokovic.

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