Buzz: Del Potro's withdrawal a shame

ByMATT WILANSKY AND JIM CAPLE
January 18, 2015, 12:29 PM

— -- MELBOURNE, Australia -- You didn't need to hear Juan Martin del Potro's words to understand the message he was about to deliver. The look on his face said it all.

On Sunday afternoon, del Potro sat stoically inside the interview room and told the media he had to withdraw from the Australian Open, citing his chronically injured left wrist. A real shame for a player the tour wholeheartedly needs back in action. 

If there was a slither of a silver lining, though, del Potro said his wrist wasn't worse per se; it's just not ready for match play.

Del Potro is one of only three players who has been able to penetrate his way through the wall the Big Four have molded for more than a decade. In 2009, the 6-foot-7 Argentine outclassed Roger Federer to win the US Open.

But since then, del Potro has undergone two major surgeries to repair both wrists and has suffered subsequent setbacks each time. He hasn't played a Grand Slam event since losing in the second round here a year ago and has withdrawn from eight of the past 21 majors. 

"It was exciting to be here, playing in Grand Slam, meeting again the players," del Potro said. "But I have to be smart and see more than my present now. I'm looking forward for my future, for my career. I have to do what the doctor says. I'm still positive. I want to play tennis. It doesn't matter how. But after seeing my level in Sydney, I think if I in good shape and I'm healthy, without pain, I could be competitive again very soon."

Although del Potro's announcement cast a chill over the tournament, we, thankfully, have a lot to look forward to.

What should we expect? Or not expect? Our Baseline Buzz bureau is back in business and juiced up for the onset of the Grand Slam season.

Matt Wilansky: Jim, I feel for del Potro, I really do. He's one of the good guys in this sport. He's humble, genuine and, oh by the way, one heck of a tennis player when healthy. I am a little concerned, though. Del Potro said in his presser that he's pulling out of Oz as more of a precaution than anything. But he also said he has no timetable to return. Considering the amount of tennis he's missed right in the heart of his golden years, I'm not sure we're ever going to see the del Potro who won the US Open six years ago. 

Jim Caple: Del Potro was adamant that he was thinking only about his future -- that this decision will only help him in the long run. And as he said, a poor performance here will set him back mentally. "I can practice," del Potro said in his presser. "I can practice and train. But if I couldn't hit backhands like I want, it's not helping a lot for my game. If I do that, could be a risk for my mind, for my body, for everything. Now is the time to stop and see the doctor again and make a good plan for the future."

Matt Wilansky: OK,  I think we should start talking about who is playing at the Aussie. That said, I don't want to give away your confidential plans, but word on the street is that you are going to be hanging with Genie's Army for a nighttime doozy in Margaret Court Arena on Day 1. I've given Eugenie Bouchard a lot of thought recently. (And please, people, we're not being risqué here.) Last season, Bouchard clearly looked and played the part of the next big thing in tennis. She was a semifinalist here at the Aussie and then the French. Weeks later, she took the next step and reached the Wimbledon final. Her upside seemed limitless, but then reality happened. Bouchard succumbed to the pressure of her hometown tournament in Montreal, suffering an opening-round loss to Shelby Sanders, and played no better in Cincinnati or New Haven. Bouchard did make the fourth round in New York, but her total body of work for the second half of the season was nothing short of a disappointment.

Jim Caple: Don't expect anything but positive Bouchard comments here. One, I will be joining the Genie Army for her first-round match and I don't want them assigning me KP duty. More importantly, she had a rough second half after her breakthrough, but that's true of many athletes in many sports. Bouchard said Sunday that it's been mentioned several times to her how difficult defending ranking points can be after a breakthrough year, but she's ready to go. "I try to see it as just a new year,'' she said. "I'm not concerned about defending points from last year. To me it's 2015. I start at zero and try to do as well as I can.'' Bouchard has talent and confidence. I expect a great 2105 from her and a growing army that will never have to resort to the draft.

Matt Wilansky All fair points on Bouchard. It's only fair we give her some more time. As for the men, if I had to look at a player who will break through this season, it has to be either Kei Nishikori or Milos Raonic. Personally, I think Nishikori is the most fluid, dynamic shot-maker in tennis. He moves as if he's skating on ice. Under the behest of Michael Chang, Nishikori, if anything, has improved his intangibles -- that is the mental makeup and confidence to win. However, the pressure is on Nishikori, who was recently on the cover of Time magazine and whose combined earnings netted him over $46 million -- most of which are from his vast array of endorsements.

Caple: There will be pressure on Nishikori, who has risen so high that he may be Japan's most popular athlete not named Ichiro or Darvish. Plus, he serves the ball faster than Darvish. He lost to Raonic in the semis at Brisbane, but I'm with you. I look for him to have a big season.

Matt Wilansky: Nishikori makes me wonder whether last season was an aberration or a legitimate signal that change is actually coming. Two non-Big Four players won a Grand Slam, the first time that's happened since 2003. Amazingly, all 16 major titles this decade were won by either Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal or Andy Murray. The irony here is that in 2014, Federer played his best tennis since perhaps 2007. He returned to No. 2 in the world, won the Davis Cup and led the ATP with 73 match wins. As for Djokovic, aside from a brief summer slump, he played near-infallible tennis for the entire season. He won Indian Wells, Miami, Rome, Wimbledon, Beijing, Paris and the year-enders. How's that for a season? Of course, on the flip side, Rafa and Murray played subpar tennis, but both were injured. So will we see more Marin Cilic, Stan Wawrinka-esque performances or will the future look eerily similar to the past?

Jim Caple: I'm hoping for more Cilic- and Wawrinka-type wins. Sport is always more compelling when you have a wide array of winners. But it's also highly entertaining when you have a dominant group of players/teams that attract attention and also inspire exciting upsets. So having a strong core at the top and rising challengers should make for a great 2015. I expect Djokovic to win at least one major -- and perhaps it finally will be at Roland Garros. Rafa downplayed his chances here (as usual), but injuries have drastically limited his play, and a big key is how he can come back.

Matt Wilansky: OK, Mr. Caple, it's prediction time. I always find myself hedging when the Aussie rolls around. How much does momentum from the previous year mean? Who worked hard in the offseason? Who is the most physically fit for potentially hazardous heat conditions? But this is why they pay us, sir: to make predictions that go horribly wrong. So here are mine: Originally, I had Djokovic winning, but something health-wise is up with him, so I am going with Wawrinka to repeat. I love his fearless approach, and when he's engaged, no one is going to outhit him. As for the women, I have no idea what to expect from Serena Williams, so I am going to go with Agnieszka Radwanska, who now has legend Martina Navratilova in her corner.

Jim Caple: Having Martina in your corner is pretty impressive, but it's not quite as good as actually having her on the court with you, so I'm going to bet against you. I think the women's side is wide, wide open, and that Radwanska is a serious contender, but I'm looking for Simona Halep to come through and win her first Slam. On the men's side, Fed is coming in with a lot of confidence, but I'm still going with Djokovic. Which, of course, means that both Halep and Djoker will not win.