Former US Open champion Juan Martin del Potro will undergo a ‘new regenerative treatment’ as he continues his rehabilitation following a knee injury.
The Argentine has been only able to play in one tournament so far this year, which was at Delray Beach. At the tournament Del Potro reached the quarter-final before losing to Mackenzie McDonald. The 30-year-old has been sidelined from the tour after damaging his right Patella Bone (kneecap) at the Shanghai Masters last October.
Giving an update on Del Potro’s health, Dr Angel Cotorro believes he is heading in the right direction to stage a comeback to the tour. Cotorro is a well known medical professional back in his home country of Spain. Previously working with Rafael Nadal and the Spanish Olympic teams. Besides starting a new regenerative treatment, Del Potro will also follow a specialized rehabilitation program ahead of his return to the tour.
“Juan Martin del Potro visited the Mapfre Clinic last week because of the fracture in his right knee cap he suffered almost six months ago. Since the beginning he was advised to take a conservative approach with his treatment. After participating in Delray Beach he began a regenerative treatment with Dr. Alejandro Rolón in Buenos Aires. He later had multiple medical tests done in Barcelona and considering his progress in the past few weeks, it’s been decided to implement a new regenerative treatment. Also, he will follow a specific rehabilitation program led by his physiotherapist, Diego Rodriguez, which will progressively allow the player to incorporate further training and compete on tour again in the near future.” Cotorro said in a statement.
The statement follows previous speculation that Del Potro might be forced to undergo surgery. His manager, Jorge Viale, told El Eco de Tandil last month that an operation ‘is always a possibility.’
It is still unclear as to when the former world No.3 will return to the tour and if he will be fit in time to play at the French Open. A tournament he has only been able to play in twice since 2013. On April 4th, Del Potro tweeted that doctors was ‘satisfied’ with his progress and that he will be returning back to the practice courts soon.
https://twitter.com/delpotrojuan/status/1113908898472316928
Del Potro is currently ranked ninth in the world rankings. During the upcoming clay swing of the tour, he has a total of 900 points to defend. Most of which will be at Roland Garros, where he reached the semi-finals last year.
So far in his career, Del Potro has won 22 ATP titles, including the 2009 US Open, and has been ranked as high as third in the world.
