Juan Martin del Potro will play his first match of the ATP season at the ATP Delray Beach Open in February.
The Argentine, whose highest ATP Ranking is number three, a level he reached at in 2018, hasn’t played in competitive tennis since October 2018. This was after he fractured his patella during the Shanghai Masters that month and had to retire from his third round match against Borna Coric.
As a result of that injury, del Potro also opted out of the Australian Open but this decision to play his first tournament this year will come as a huge relief to his fans.
Speaking to the media, del Potro said:
“I have great memories of Delray Beach and the fans, from winning the title in 2011 to starting my comeback here in 2016. This city will always be a special place for me.”
Incidentally, del Potro’s performances at the Delray Beach Open have been excellent, having won the tournament the first time he played. In 2016, he was a losing quarter-finalist, going down to Janko Tipsarevic while making it to the semi-finals in the 2017 edition before losing in straight sets to Milos Raonic.
Incidentally, he lost early at the Delray Beach Open last year but that triggered a stretch of 15 unbeaten matches for him including titles at the Acapulco Open and the Indian Wells Masters.
The tournament director for the Delray Beach Open, Mark Baron expressed delight at del Potro’s decision to play in the competition. He said:
“We’ve been fortunate to forge a special relationship with Delpo. He enjoys the laid-back vibes of Delray Beach and is treated like family. He is family to all of us. We look forward to him launching another successful year starting here in Delray Beach.”
The tournament kick-starts on February 18 and he will play his first match next day.
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