Del Potro announces retirement after ATP 250 Buenos Aires

Due to a knee issue, Juan Martin Del Potro has revealed that he will likely retire after playing the Argentina Open in Buenos Aires next week. The Argentine was handed a wildcard into the main draws of both the Buenos Aires and Rio Opens later this month. However, it's conceivable that the 33-year-old will retire in front of his home audience next week.

In a press conference on Saturday 'The Tower of Tandil' stated "This is one of the hardest messages I've ever had to face up to and communicate. Everyone knows and hopes that I return to tennis. Possibly it won't be like that and that it will be more of a farewell than a return."

In June 2019, at Queens in London, the former World No. 3 played his last tournament match. He hurt his knee and has been working hard to restore his full health since then. "The knee has been a nightmare. I've been trying alternatives and ways to resolve it for years and today I just can't manage it. I never imagined retiring from tennis anywhere other than out there on the court," The Argentine added further.

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Del Potro, one of the game's most ferocious hitters, has battled injuries after conquering the US Open in 2009. He won his maiden and only Grand Slam championship in the 2009 US Open, where he was seeded sixth. He upset Rafael Nadal in the semi-finals and Roger Federer in the final. The Argentine interrupted The Swiss Maestro's five-year dynasty in New York by defeating him in a five-set final. In 2018, he made it to the final of the US Open but lost to Novak Djokovic. Del Potro has 22 tour-level championships to his name, the latest of which was the 2018 BNP Paribas Open. Nicknamed as the 'Tower of Tandil' after his city, he obtained a career-high ATP Ranking of World No. 3 in 2018.

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However, Del Potro has committed to competing in both the Buenos Aires Open and the Rio de Janeiro Open this month. He will play Federico Delbonis, a fellow countryman, in his first round in Buenos Aires on Tuesday. The Rio de Janeiro Open and Buenos Aires open is all set to begin from February 12 and March 1 respectively.