Former US Open champion Juan Martin Del Potro has announced he is likely to retire from professional tennis due to a knee injury.

The 33-year-old veteran is currently in his native Argentina and set to compete in the Argentina Open, which gets underway on Monday.

However, speaking in a tearful press conference ahead of the tournament, Del Porto has stated it could be his last as a professional.

‚I think this is one of the most difficult messages I will ever deliver,‘ he said.

‚I know that people are expecting me to return to tennis, but this may be more of a farewell than a return.

‚I have strength to go forward but my knee is becoming a nightmare. I have been trying alternative treatments for a number of years, with different doctors and attempts to fix it. But I have still not found a solution. 

‚But I never imagined retiring from tennis without having the chance to say goodbye and I can’t imagine a better tournament than Buenos Aires to do it.

‚After these weeks we will see what happens with my future, but I am clear that I want to live like a person of 33 years and try to not have pain. It’s a difficult decision, but I wanted to make it clear.‘

Del Potro won his only Grand Slam in 2009 when he stunned Roger Federer in five sets to win the US Open title.

He also has reached the semi-finals at both Wimbleton and the French Open, while he reached the gold medal match of the 2016 Olympics in Rio, only to lose out to Andy Murray.

His injuries have kept him out since 2019 and he has undergone four right knee surgeries.

Del Potro will make his return when he faces Federico Delbonis in the first round of the Argentina Open on Monday.