Del Potro: "It's Amazing To Be Back"

Healthy and ready to go, Juan Martin del Potro is back at the US Open, the first Grand Slam that he won seven years ago. The Argentine, who received a wild card from the USTA to play in the main draw, says he feels comfortable in his return to the Flushing Meadows.

“I am in a very happy place now,” said the Argentine to ATPWorldTour.com in New York. “Every hallway that I walk through gives me great feelings and I am honoured to be here. This tournament is very special and after all my injury problems, it is very emotional and enjoyable to be back.”

Del Potro, who endured four wrist surgeries and this year made the decision to return little by little to the ATP World Tour, made his comeback debut in Delray Beach. Now, after many months of readjusting to the level of competition, Del Potro is back in the US Open. It is one of the most special tournaments in all of his career.

“It’s amazing to be back in New York,” reflected Del Potro, who defeated Roger Federer in the final in 2009 to celebrate his first Grand Slam title. “Winning here made me feel like a true champion. There is something very special about being the winner of a tournament like this. It’s a prize that is indescribable.

“To be as close as I was to never playing again and now returning to re-live these things is something spectacular,” he insisted. “Maybe I enjoy it a lot more now because I know what it cost me to be here. With every corner I see, every place where I am, I remember the things that I did in 2009; where I prepared, the place where I celebrated, also the people that made me feel so great. I am very happy.”

The Argentine, No. 142 in the Emirates ATP Rankings, will open against a countryman in Flushing Meadows and he knows that easy opponents don’t exist in a tournament like this.

“I have to play against another Argentine,” said Del Potro, who will square off against Diego Schwartzman in the first round of the last Grand Slam of the season. “Obviously, in a tournament as big as this, there is no easy opponent even in the early rounds. To return to play another tournament after all that I experienced at the Olympics in Rio is not easy. I was very emotional. But I am in a place where I have incredible memories.

“Here, all the matches are long and the heat is also an important factor,” the Tandil native remembers. “I will enjoy the opportunity to place another match at the US Open, which is very special for me. If I advance and it goes well, it will be great, but if I don’t, then it won’t be terrible. My big objective for the season is to return to the tour without pain in my wrist, and to be able to hit the ball with strength on my backhand side by the end of the year.

“I am on the right track and close to achieving this. I feel strong and focused mentally. This is a Del Potro who will return to smile on the court, enjoying everything that goes with being a tennis player.”