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Juan Martin del Potro has officially pulled out of the 2022 Rio Open, all but confirming that his first-round loss at the Argentina Open was the last match of his career. After his emotional farewell in Buenos Aires on Wednesday, Del Potro had stated that he would give an update on his participation in Rio de Janeiro soon.
On Friday, tournament organizers in Rio announced that the Argentinian had decided to forego the wildcard he had been granted. In a message posted to their social media accounts, the organizers expressed regret at not being able to host Del Potro before he hung up his racquet.
They also wished the 33-year-old good luck for the future and assured him that if he ever made a return to the sport, the "doors of the Rio Open" would be open to him.
"Juan Martin Del Potro unfortunately will not compete in the Rio Open. It was always a dream to have him with us and we came very close to being able to fulfill it," the Rio Open's Twitter account wrote. "We wish you much success in the future and know that the doors of the Rio Open will always be open to you, Juan Martin!"
Taking the former World No. 3's place at the event, held between 14 to 20 February, is Juncheng Shang. The 17-year-old Chinese player is currently ranked No. 2 on the junior circuit, and he finished the 2021 US Open boys' singles as the runner-up.
Having previously played in the qualifying draw of the 2021 Miami Masters, where he suffered a loss to Liam Broady, Shang will make his ATP tour main draw debut on the claycourts of Rio de Janeiro.
Juan Martin del Potro will end his career without having ever played at the Rio Open
Despite the Rio Open's close proximity to his homeland and its prestigious status as an ATP 500 event, Juan Martin del Potro has never played there. And the main reason for that is believed to be the choice of surface.
In an interview a few years ago, tournament director Luiz Carvalho revealed that the Argentinian might consider attending the event if they switch from the existing claycourts to hardcourts.
"We tried [to get] Juan Martin del Potro, but unfortunately he won’t come in 2018. He plays on hard [court] during that time of the year. If the surface changes, he said that he will play Rio Open," Carvalho had told reporters.
The surface switch was expected to happen in 2019, with plans to move the Rio Open to the Olympic Tennis Center - the same venue where Del Potro won a silver medal. But the plan never materialized, and the former US Open champion played instead at the Delray Beach Open in Florida the same week.
Also Check Out: Rio Open Results 2022
