(CNN)Juan Martin Del Potro has withdrawn from the Australian Open, citing ongoing concerns over a wrist injury that has ravaged much of his past year.
The 2009 US Open winner has been struggling with wrist injuries since 2010 and has not played for over ten months.
But it seemed Del Potro’s injury spell was behind him after reaching the quarter-finals of the Sydney International last week.
But the former world number four decided that the first Grand Slam of the year had come too soon.
“It’s a shame I can’t take part in such an important tournament, but this is another episode on the long road to recovery,” Del Potro wrote on his Facebook account. “I will follow the advice of my doctors and try to return as soon as possible.”
Del Potro has slipped to world no.
“I appreciate the support I’ve received since announcing to play in Sydney,” he added. “It was wonderful.”
This year’s Australian Open has been hit by a number of exciting, hard-hitting players who either retired injured or struggled to reach peak fitness ahead of the start of Monday’s tournament.
US Open champion Marin Cilic withdrew earlier this year, as did Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, while Rafael Nadal complained he was still feeling the effects of an operation to remove his appendix.
The biggest uncertainty, however, concerns the fitness of Australian Nick Kyrgios.
The teenage sensation arrived at Wimbledon as an unknown but reached the quarter-finals after beating Nadal and heralded himself as one of the game’s most exciting young talents.
Desperate to get fit for his first ‘home’ Grand Slam since his breakthrough season, Kyrgios had taken the last four months off to try to heal from an intractable back injury that cast doubt on his participation.
Last week it looked like he might drop out too, but the 19-year-old confirmed he will be in Melbourne on Monday.
“I obviously feel it. It’s not 100 percent. But, you know, I’m good enough to compete,” Kyrgios told the Sydney Morning Herald on the eve of the tournament. “I’m noticing improvements every day… Yes, I think I’m ready to compete.”
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