Photo: Juan Martin del Potro gives thumbs up after wrist surgery

No. 8 Juan Martin del Potro had surgery Monday on the bothersome left wrist that has plagued him for more than a year. Del Potro's surgery took place at the
Photo: Juan Martin del Potro gives thumbs up after wrist surgery
Photo: Juan Martin del Potro gives thumbs up after wrist surgery /

No. 8 Juan Martin del Potro had surgery Monday on the bothersome left wrist that has plagued him for more than a year.

Del Potro's surgery took place at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota with Dr. Richard Berger, who performed a similar surgery on the Argentine's right wrist in 2010. No timetable for his recovery was released. Del Potro was off the tour for six months for his right-wrist surgery. If that schedule holds this time, he'd likely to miss the rest of the Grand Slam season.

In a statement, Dr. Berger said he was surprised at the extent of the damage to Del Potro's wrist.

"During the operation, it was discovered that the damage to his wrist ligaments was worse than expected based upon the high resolution imaging obtained before the surgery," the statement read. "Even so, the surgery went very well and as planned. The damaged ligaments were repaired and reinforced. The surgery did not require hospitalization and Juan Martin is recovering comfortably. It is expected that he will make a full recovery and on schedule as originally planned. "

Del Potro, who returned to the top five last fall after a long climb back near the top following his first wrist procedure, posted a post-surgery photo to reassure his fans that everything went well.

"Hi everyone, here I am, still sore from the surgery," Del Potro wrote on Facebook. "Luckily everything went well. Thank you very much for the nice messages you are sending me. Here's a picture with Dr. Berger and Franco [Davin, his coach]."

A drowsy Juan Martin del Potro flashes a thumbs up after his wrist surgery. (Facebook)

A drowsy Juan Martin del Potro flashes a thumbs up after his wrist surgery. (Facebook)

This post has been updated.


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Courtney Nguyen
COURTNEY NGUYEN

Contributor, SI.com Nguyen is a freelance writer for SI.com, providing full coverage of professional tennis both on and off the court. Her content has become a must-read for fans and insiders to stay up-to-date with a sport that rarely rests. She has appeared on radio and TV talk shows all over the world and is one of the co-hosts of No Challenges Remaining, a weekly podcast available on iTunes. Nguyen graduated from the University of California, Irvine in 1999 and received a law degree from the University of California, Davis in 2002. She lives in the Bay Area.