Victoria Azarenka and Juan Martin del Potro, both of whom have been sidelined with injuries for much of this season, each took a step towards their return on Thursday. Both Azarenka and del Potro made their returns to the practice courts today, and were quick to share their progress on their respective social media accounts.
Azarenka, who has played just one match since the Australian Open due to a recurring foot injury, posted the photo below on her Twitter and Instagram accounts early Thursday morning, just as second round action kicked off at Roland Garros. She has dropped to No. 5 in the WTA rankings due to her inactivity, and withdrew from Roland Garros earlier this month; the Belarusian had never missed a Grand Slam tournament since her debut at the Australian Open in 2006.
Del Potro began the year with a title at the Apia International in Sydney, but required treatment on his left wrist following a second round loss to Roberto Bautista-Agut at the Australian Open. The Argentine missed over six months due to surgery on his right wrist in 2010, and has not played since retiring against Somdev Devvarman in Dubai. In March, he underwent surgery on his left wrist. Del Potro posted an update on his Facebook page late Thursday afternoon, where he stated that he took to the courts for a light hit involving "forehands and volleys without any major movements." The Argentine is still wearing a splint, and says that "he has to be "cautious, without skipping any step during the recovery time."