(Reuters) – World number five Juan Martin del Potro will miss next month’s Australian Open as he continues to recover from a kneecap fracture he suffered during a fall at the Shanghai Masters October, he said on Monday.
“Recovery is going great and I will tell you later where I will be making my comeback,” he said on Twitter.
“Unfortunately it won’t happen in Australia, I’ll miss you @AustralianOpen, but I’m happy with my progress.”
Injuries are nothing new for the 30-year-old Argentine, who has been sidelined by wrist injuries that have required numerous surgeries throughout his career.
The hard-hitting del Potro was healthy for most of 2018 and had a career resurgence, winning the title at Indian Wells in March before reaching the U.S. Open final in September.
(Reporting by Rory Carroll; Editing by Alison Williams)