Del Potro Undergoes Successful Wrist Surgery
World number eight-ranked Juan Martin del Potro underwent successful surgery on his left wrist Monday at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. According to del Potro’s doctor, Dr. Richard Berger, the damage to del Potro’s ligament was worse than initially thought, but the operation was a success as the damaged ligaments were repaired and reinforced.
"Obviously, it's not the easiest choice or the happiest moment of my career,” said del Potro in a message to his fans on Facebook. “I experienced a similar situation and I know how hard it is to be out of the tour, the desire to return, the endless weeks of recovery and how difficult it is to start fighting for the top spots in the rankings again."
Dr. Berger performed surgery on del Potro’s right wrist four years ago. He has won 11 titles since his return to the ATP World Tour, and was named Comeback Player of the Year in the 2011 ATP World Tour Awards.
He first suffered pain in his left wrist in August 2012 and received treatment injections for the injury at the 2013 U.S. Open where he was ousted in the second round by the unseeded Lleyton Hewitt. The pain lingered and resurfaced at the 2014 Australian Open, where he fell to Roberto Bautista Agut in the second round. The pain continued, forcing del Potro to him to retire from his opening match in Dubai, and then withdraw from the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournaments in Indian Wells and Miami so far in 2014.
"As always, thank you to those who express their support in any part of Argentina and the world, during tournaments, on the streets or social networks," del Potro continued on Facebook. "The strength you send me and my desire will be crucial during my recovery."
No timetable has been set for his return to the court. In 2010, a similar surgery on his right wrist kept him out for eight months, potentially jeopardizing his return before the end of 2014.
