Argentine tennis player Juan Martin Del Potro will miss the Australian Open later this month because of persistent problems with his injured knee, tournament organisers said on Friday.
"Juan Martin del Potro has withdrawn from #AusOpen 2020 as he continues to recover from a knee injury," a short tweet said. "Wishing you all the best with your recovery @delpotrojuan."
The 31-year old, who reached the quarter-final of the Australian Open on two occasions, has been battling problems with his right knee since June last year when he underwent surgery.
Although he was ranked in the top 10 a year ago, the 6’6” Argentine has fallen to 120 in the singles rankings after six months out of action.
Recovering Andreescu to miss Australian Open
US Open champion Bianca Andreescu will miss the Australian Open later this month as she continues to recover from a knee injury, the Canadian teenager said on Saturday.
World number six Andreescu, who suffered the injury at the WTA Finals in Shenzen, is undergoing a rehabilitation programme, she said on her Twitter page.
“...the Australian Open is unfortunately too soon in my rehab process and I sadly will not be able to play in it this year,” the 19-year-old wrote.
“It was a very tough decision to make as I love to play in Melbourne but I have to respect the recuperation plan for my knee and body. I can’t wait to come back to Aus soon.”
The Canadian teenager last month opted out of the Auckland Classic, a traditional warmup event for players fine-tuning their game ahead of the Australian Open.
Andreescu was a qualifier in Melbourne last year and lost to Anastasija Sevastova in the second round.
She went on to win her first WTA title at Indian Wells and then beat Serena Williams in the finals in Toronto and again at Flushing Meadows to clinch her first Grand Slam crown.
A knee injury in the WTA Finals forced her to retire from her round-robin match against Karolina Pliskova before she pulled out of the season-ending tournament.
The Australian Open begins on Jan. 20.
