Juan Martin del Potro, after enjoying a fantastic finish to 2016, is looking forward to starting his new season at an event where he’s enjoyed much success.
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Del Potro will play his first match of the year against Kevin Anderson at this week’s Delray Beach Open. The current World No. 42 Del Potro chose to start in Florida after taking extended time off after the end of 2016.
The former US Open champion, after helping Argentina win its first ever Davis Cup title, chose not to compete in Australia at the start of the year. The extra time allowed him to rest and prepare more for this year.
“This pre-season is completely different from the last one. I know 80 to 90 per cent of my schedule for the whole year, which is important,” del Potro said to ATP.com. ‘I worked hard in my pre-season in Tandil and came to Miami to finish the training. I did everything I can do before a tournament. I’m starting to do yoga every morning before practise and some exercises for my wrist and my body, All of these things help you to get into form.”
Del Potro recently posted a video of his extensive pre-season training.
Del Potro enjoyed a solid 2016 season that included winning his first title in nearly three years in Stockholm and claiming the Olympic silver medal in Rio. Del Potro also earned top five wins over Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray, and Rafael Nadal.
Del Potro won the DelRay event back in 2011. He also began his comeback in 2016 at the same event, which is why it holds very special memories for him.
“I don’t know where my game is yet. In the first tournament, the first match, the sensations are pretty different compared to the last match of the year. I have a tough first-round ahead,” del Potro said. “But I love to play here. The atmosphere on the court is great. Many fans come to support me, so that gives me a special energy to play.”