ATP: “Unlucky bird” Juan Martin del Potro suffers patellar fracture

Bad luck again for Juan Martin del Potro: The US Open finalist suffered a fracture of his kneecap during his crash in the round of sixteen in Shanghai. A start at the ATP final in London in November seems impossible.

From del Portro’s commentary, embedded in the twelve-line press release in English, disappointment and helplessness could be read in equal measure. And what’s more, they were literally tangible.

“It’s a very difficult moment for me. I’m very sad. It’s a hard blow that leaves me powerless,” explained the Argentinian: “It’s very difficult for me to think about rehab again. I didn’t expect anything like this to happen.”

“Delpo” is currently wearing a splint on his right leg. In the next few days, the doctors want to decide which treatment is necessary and what the rehabilitation process will look like in concrete terms.

The 30-year-old is currently excluded from participating in the ATP finals in London’s o2 Arena (from 11 November), for which he had already qualified. The planned launch in Basel (from 22 October) is also impossible.

Del Potro had suffered the injury last Thursday in the Shanghai Masters Round of 16 against Borna Coric, when he slipped in the tenth game of the first set after a change of direction and fell unhappily on his kneecap. The US Open winner of 2009 had tried to run a stop ball of the Croatian.

After the conceded break to 5:6, del Potro took a medical timeout and had his right knee bandaged thickly. Although he returned to the Centre Court once again, his handicap did not allow any serious resistance. Coric kept his service to zero and won the first run after 68 minutes with 7:5. Then the Argentinian gave up with a pain distorted face.

Del Potro, called “El Palito” (“The Beanpole”), thus remains one of the most unlucky birds in the circuit. The crowd favourite had fought his way back into the top 3 again this season, after having to endure a total of four wrist operations and depressive moods in recent years.

“I’ve had some real horror years,” said del Potro recently, “I wasn’t far from quitting tennis.” In February 2016, he was ranked 1045 in the ATP ranking – currently the gentle giant with the brute curtain hammer is number four in the world. In the Race to London del Potro is third.