January 15, 2023, 11:44 AM
January 15, 2023, 11:44 AM
Hugo Dellien overcame his wrist injury and will be able to attend the Australian Open. The best Bolivian tennis player today will take the national flag to Australia, where he plans to have a great tournament and show why six months ago he was number 64 in the world. What happened and why did he have to be unemployed for six months? TEN tells you:
Dellien’s 2022 was marked by great performances, his best ever ranking, and a severe injury. He participated in Roland Garros, and was champion of the Challenger in Santiago, and was a finalist in the Challenger in Concepción, to give a few examples.
The problems came in the middle of 2022, and it seemed to start in June, where Dellien was eliminated in the first round of Wimbledon against Álex de Minaur from Australia. He made it to the main draw, but couldn’t against a much superior opponent.
The following month, Dellien announced the wrist injury on his social media. “Since the Master 1000 in Madrid and Rome, he had a little pain in his right wrist,” he said. In that publication, it was learned that the man from Beni had a radio-ulnar-carpal synovitis (inflammation or irritation of the synovial membrane. Said membrane , contributes to lubricating joints).
This injury had been dragging her since April and May 2022 (the two Masters 1000 that the tennis player indicated are in those months). He attempted a quick recovery, but the wrist was unresponsive at Wimbledon.
Despite the injury, the great results he has been accumulating since the beginning of 2022 made Hugo climb the ATP Rankings. On August 1, Bolivia woke up to the news that Dellien was among the top 64 players on the planet.
At the end of that same month, Dellien returned to be honest on social networks. “I have been with wrist pain since Ronald Garros (May 2022)” Hugo explained.
“I was not one hundred percent and we decided to withdraw from the US Open. I was doing the rehabilitation in Uruguay and Buenos Aires, and I will have to continue it again at this time,” he added.
In this context, and with the best ranking of his career, the tennis player appealed to the “Protected Ranking”, something that the ATP makes available to tennis players who suffer long injuries. This was a condition for Dellien to have no more activity in 2022.
This allows the injured player to use ranking protection in eight tournaments, and access them with the position he had before the injury to fight his return to the high ranks of the ATP.
Simplifying, Hugo dropped to 132nd place, but due to the protection of the ranking, he will be able to access the four Grand Slams in 2023. “I’m going to be in the main draw of the four Grand Slams and some ATP tournaments, like the Masters 1000 in Rome and Madrid. Both are on brick dust, and that’s where I feel best playing,” he said at the time.
From that point onwards, Dellien has recovered in Argentina since October with physical therapy and fitness work. Little by little, he returned to the courts to be able to have contact with the racket.
The first week of November he went on vacation with his family to Cancun, and after a few days he returned to Buenos Aires to start the preseason at the end of November. He did another small ‘break’ to spend Christmas in his native Beni, and returned to work in the Argentine capital. There he spent the New Year, finalizing details for his great return.
On Sunday, January 8, he published again on social networks, and he was already in Melbourne, home of the Australian Open. “Australian Open 2023!! Happy to be here after 6 months without being able to compete!! Enjoy it and compete at Full!!!!”, mentioned Hugo.
The Bolivian tennis player will play the first round of the Grand Slam this Tuesday, January 17. His rival will be the Frenchman Enzo Couacaud, number 190 in the world. In case of advancing, the Bolivian must face the winner of the key between the Spanish Roberto Carballes and Novak Djokovic. Nice return, right?
