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The former world number three, who has not
fully recovered from a series of knee injuries, said on his
Instagram page that he was in Chicago and would undergo knee
surgery on Tuesday.
"We've tried conservative therapy but the pain is still there,"
said Del Potro. "(The doctor) knows I want to play tennis again
and be able to play the Olympics, so we agreed that surgery
should be done as soon as possible."
The men's singles tennis event at the Tokyo Olympics begins on
July 24.
Del Potro, who won a bronze medal at the 2012 London Olympics
and silver in Rio de Janeiro four years later, has had three
knee operations since breaking his patella at the Shanghai
Masters in 2018, with the last surgery happening in August 2020.
The 32-year-old Del Potro, who has previously said he wants to
end his career on his terms and not because of his health, last
competed in mid-2019.
Del Potro also said things had been hard since his father died
in January and that he felt a push to get back on the court.
"I feel the strength he sends me from above. I had this day in
which I woke up and called the doctor. I knew I had to try
again," said Del Potro. "I hope I can overcome this painful
situation. I won't stop trying."
(Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto; editing by Clare Fallon)
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