Juan Martin del Potro has said of the possibility that he could make a sensational return at the US Open as a former champion: "I still have time, I will start training, see how my leg and knee react and if I can do it or not".
The hugely popular Argentine was speaking as part of an interview with South American sports reporter Danny Miche, and he delighted his many fans with the mere suggestion that he was hoping to launch a surprise comeback.
Del Potro, who won the US Open back in 2009, has at least admitted that he will give a return to Flushing Meadows a chance after he had to step away from the sport last year following persistent wrist and knee injuries.
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The 34-year-old from Tandil has not featured on the ATP Tour since February 2022 as he played in front of his vociferous fans in Buenos Aires. At the time, he said that even training was proving to be too painful, but he has made it clear that he has not lost any of his passion for the sport.
"I love tennis, it will never be a problem to pick up a racquet and see how I feel," Del Potro told Miche, as per We Love Tennis.
"The physical problem and my knee are things I work on every day. I’m going to leave that window open, at least until the US Open, as I said.
"This is the most special tournament for me. I still have time. I will start training, see how my leg and knee react, and if I can do it or not."
Del Potro recently said that Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal denied him his “dream” of getting to world No. 1 as he never got higher than No. 3 in the rankings.

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When he hit his career-high ranking in 2018 he was 1,000 points behind second-placed Federer and nearly 5,000 behind No. 1 Nadal.
The Argentine only stayed at No. 3 for a few weeks before being overtaken by Djokovic after he beat him in the US Open final, and he never got higher than No. 4 again in his career.
"The only thing I lacked was being No. 1,” he said at a Roland-Garros Junior Series event in Sao Paulo.
“It was always a dream and I always worked for it… but I was proud of my career and I never made it because there was either Federer or Nadal or Djokovic.
"When I look at the rankings and the years of my career and who was fighting to be No. 1, I see that it was beautiful that these were the ones who didn't let me make it, this dream.”
In addition to winning the 2009 US Open, Del Potro reached three other Grand Slam semi-finals and tasted Davis Cup success with Argentina in 2016. He also claimed 22 ATP singles titles.
The huge hitter beat Rafael Nadal in the semi-finals and Roger Federer in the New York showpiece as he clinched his Flushing Meadows glory, while he won a silver medal at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games and a bronze medal at London 2012.
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