‘What I need is to have someone get me physically fit enough to
last the whole year. We’re looking at what the priority is. If tennis
waited for me for two years, Australia can wait for me for one more’

Argentina’s Juan Martin del Potro will miss next month’s Australian Open and possibly his country’s Davis Cup first-round tie against Italy because of injury concerns.
 The former US Open champion has been plagued with wrist injuries for the past three years and after an impressive return in 2016 said he wants to avoid any setbacks.
 A statement announcing that he was withdrawing from the season-opening Auckland Classic and the Australian Open said he needed more recovery time after leading Argentina to the Davis Cup title for the first time in November.
 “What I need is to have someone get me physically fit enough to last the whole year,” the 28-year-old said. “We’re looking at what the priority is. If tennis waited for me for two years, Australia can wait for me for one more.”
 He is regarded as serious challenger for Grand Slam titles but three surgeries to his wrist threatened to end his career. He began the year ranked 1,042 but ended the season inside the top 40. Del Potro reached the Olympic singles final in Rio, losing a cliff-hanger to Andy Murray, before guiding Argentina to victory over Croatia in the Davis Cup final.
 The 28-year-old has not completely ruled out being available for their opening round against Italy starting on February 3. “There’s still some time to the first tie against Italy, but not so much and it’s going to be on clay, a surface I struggle on,” Del Potro said.
 “Juan Martin del Potro has confirmed he will withdraw from the Australasian swing due to fitness issues,” the Classic organisers said in a statement yesterday, referring to the two tournaments in January. “Del Potro confirmed via his management team overnight that he has not had sufficient recovery time and will be withdrawing from the (Auckland) Classic and the Australian Open.”
 Del Potro was the 2016 tennis comeback success story. After missing most of last year because of injury, he began 2016 ranked 1,042th and finished at 38th after a meteoric rise which included wins over Stan Wawrinka, Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray. The 1.98-metre (6ft 6in) Del Potro beat Roger Federer in the final of the 2009 US Open and the following year reached a career high of world number four before he began to be troubled by wrist injuries.
 World number eight Madison Keys too will miss the year’s first Grand Slam after undergoing wrist surgery. American Keys, 21, who made the round of 16 at all four Grand Slam tournaments last year, had the procedure in early November and would not be ready for tennis’ season-opening major that begins at Melbourne Park on January 16.
 “Three days after the year-end WTA Championships I had minor arthroscopic surgery on my left wrist,” she said on Twitter. “The procedure was very short, did not involve any tendon issues and went very well... I don’t want to rush back and need to take my time to be fully ready to perform my best on the court.”
 Keys, who plays right-handed, also revealed she was being coached again by former world number one Lindsay Davenport, having worked with Thomas Hogstedt for the last year. “I am very excited about working with Lindsay again,” Keys added. “She’s helped me reach great results in the past and we make an excellent team! I will be back soon and can’t wait to compete again.”

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