Uh Oh, Juan Martin del Potro’s Left Wrist Is In Severe Pain

by Tom Gainey | January 28th, 2014, 9:08 am
  • 24 Comments

According to Juan Martin del Potro’s publicist, the former US Open champion’s left wrist is now in severe pain.

In an email, speaking for del Potro Jorge Viale writes:

Juan Martin del Potro flew to Rochester, Minnesota, to consult Dr. Richard Berger at the Mayo Clinic due to recurring pain in his left wrist.

Del Potro suffered pain at the beginning of the Australian Open and it worsened as matches lengthened. The Tandil native had been injected for the last time the U.S. Open last year, when he suffered the same pain he had experienced in 2012 (Cincinnati, U.S. Open and the Davis Cup tie against Czech Republic) and early 2013 (Marseille, Dubai, Indian Wells and Miami).

The infiltration and medical treatment allowed him to play without discomfort through Sydney. He experienced severe pain in Melbourne, came back to Argentina and put his wrist to rest.

He had planned to visit Dr. Berger some time this year to continue with the treatment. As pain worsened, he decided to fly last night.

Del Potro underwent right wrist surgery in 2010 by the same Dr. Berger. He then began experiencing pain in his left wrist during the 2012 summer and again last season.


The 25-year-old del Potro is ranked No. 4 this week, matching a career-high. But after a title in Sydney to start the season the Argentine was stunned in the second round by Roberto Bautista Agut at the Australian Open.

UPDATE: The Dr. has recommended therapy for del Potro. Via Viale:
Dr. Richard Berger examined Juan Martin Del Potro at Mayo Clinic in Rochester this Tuesday and Wednesday and has recommended a physical therapy program that should solve the issues he is having. He is optimistic about the success of the treatment.


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24 Comments for Uh Oh, Juan Martin del Potro’s Left Wrist Is In Severe Pain

Michael Says:

Del Potro’s physical problems never seems to go away. They keep coming back again and again to haunt him. I hope his present ailment is not serious enough to jeopardize his career. I am keeping my fingers crossed for he is a player with a huge potential to scale greater heights, but it seems he is not destined to fulfil it.


skeezer Says:

Bummer! That is NOT good news…


metan Says:

Oh dear, bad news from Delpo. Hope he gets well soon.


Brando Says:

Sad, sad news.

The big man has the game, mind and heart to be world no. 1 and multiple GS winner.

But sadly his physical problems (especially his being a very tall man) hinder him from fulfilling his immense potential.

It’s heading towards 5 years since his GS win and he’s not played a single GS final since then nor won a MS title or WTF title.

I fear he’ll end up a under achieving at this rate.

Get well soon Juan Martin- you bring joy to many when on court.


Giles Says:

I predicted a while ago that he would suffer injury to his right wrist. Am really not surprised. Has anyone REALLY seen him hit the ball? No? I have. When he played Rafa in Shanghai last year you could see the ball bashing to its fullest extent. Rafa was looking at his team and laughing.


Giles Says:

Hope he recovers from this soon and it will not be a whole year out as previously.


the DA Says:

This is terrible news. I hope he doesn’t end up having a blighted career like Haas and Nalbandian. At least he managed to get a slam first. Hope he’s back in the mix soon.


SG1 Says:

This is terrible news. He can’t seem to catch a break health wise. I really expected him to win a major in 2013. I suspect he’ll go down was one of those really talented guys who couldn’t stay healthy enough to make a run at No.1. And DelPo seems like a genuinely good guy. Let’s hope that this wrist thing can be sorted out with some treatment rather than something more extreme.


Okiegal Says:

You’ve heard of rag arm regarding baseball pitchers…..Well I think DelPo has rag wrist. I don’t think he will ever be a consistent winner. Because he hits so hard, I don’t think his wrist could ever be without pain for very long at a time. I am sorry for him.

Does everyone think it’s a real injury or is he faking! Lol. Just wondering………


Okiegal Says:

@Giles

You are right , I remember that match well. I will venture to say he hits harder than anyone on the tour. I have been saying this forever, I don’t think he will last. I hate this for him, I like this guy…..almost as much as Rafa, but not quite!! Lol
I have never seen him live, but I’ll bet it looks even harder in person than on tv. That’s the time I think Rafa was truly stunned!!


Ben Pronin Says:

“I predicted a while ago that he would suffer injury to his right wrist.”

Giles, his left wrist is injured.

It’s not the forehand that’s the problem, it seems to be the backhand. Remember last year he reached the Indian Wells final by almost exclusively slicing from that side. I’ve never seen anything odd about Del Potro’s backhand swing but maybe he needs to reexamine the stroke?


skeezer Says:

Ben,
How could he hurt his left hand with a 2 hander, thought it would be the right hand from over pronating.??


skeezer Says:

^realize its the left wrist, just trying ti figure out technically how he injured it….


RZ Says:

This is really too bad. DelPo seemed to finally be recovering from his wrist injury that he got at the end of 2009 and challenging the top guns. Hopefully this injury won’t be as bad.


Giles Says:

Ben. Ok. Didn’t he injure his right wrist in 2010? Now it’s his left wrist.


the DA Says:

@skeezer – It is odd but I remember Andy also had an injury to his left wrist in 2009. I was initially surprised but then remembered how much the left hand is used to create angles and topspin. Considering how hard everyone hits these days it’s logical how this could happen.


harry Says:

Want to see JMDP in full flight again… Get well soon…


Daniel Says:

Left hand on double hand BH is the hand that gets all the absorbing power of strokes. You bend it against your forarm to sustain the stroke while right hand you bend the wrist inside the arm. i have a double hand BH and felt pain on both wrists before. Bad technique and you can hurt left elbow as well.
DelPo hits to hard. Period! That is q price to it


Jo Says:

Does anyone here had wrist torn ligament and able come back again in tennis?
Mine is already 4 months from time of injury. Casted for 4 wks, used support for the next 8 wks. And now still hurt if full used.


Lulu Says:

Terrible news! Delpo adds a lot of excitement to the mix. Hope he’s back soon!


Okiegal Says:

@ Daniel

Been saying that forever…..He does hit too hard!
He’s killing his wrist.


Colin Says:

Maybe Delpo should sue the Pope for not curing him with his touch.


Emily Says:

He had the surgery on the right wrist and that seems to have stopped bothering him (knock on wood). Everyone’s right about the left wrist and the backhand. At the US Open, he kept slicing his backhand during the rallies, which wasn’t helping him at all against a player like Hewitt so perhaps it was hurting then. The slice worked at Indian Wells b/c Murray and Nole weren’t expecting it, but he needs that two handed backhand if he wants victories like in Shanghai over Nadal.

I have seen him play up close several times and his weight of shot is unbelievable. It sounds like a bullet when the ball comes off his racquet and I’m still blown away every time he hits one of those massive forehands. This left wrist problem is such a blow, especially considering he just equalled his career high ranking this week. As a Delpo fan, I can only hope that he’s smart about how much rest it needs and play his game the best he can. I’m not giving up on him and after getting back to the top after surgery, the best is yet to come.


Hippy Chic Says:

That is indeed bad luck,1st one wrist then the other,he does hit the ball much harder than anyone else on tour,hard,long and deep,i think Daniels post has it spot on,he needs to alter his wrist action when hitting the ball,easier said than done,and im not a tennis player so i dont know the answer unfortunatly??

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