Juan Martin del Potro is taking a lot of confidence from his run at the US Open, saying he has begun to find his game again.
The 2009 champion came from behind to defeat Dominic Thiem in five sets in the fourth round, and then notched a quarterfinal victory against Roger Federer. The Argentine grabbed the first set against Rafael Nadal in the semifinals before Nadal won in four.
"My game is appearing," Del Potro told journalists in Spanish. "The winners returned. I enjoyed this tournament. It was spectacular, and I'm looking forward with expectations."
Del Potro had several wins against the top players upon returning from a third procedure on his left wrist in 2016, but just one Top 10 victory this season coming into the US Open. He had also not gone beyond the quarterfinals of any tournament since his opening event of the season.
But his performances at Flushing Meadows have him aiming higher.
"I hope this is a starting point," he said.
Del Potro also showed improvement in his backhand, which has been limited since his return. But he is still looking to get it back to something approaching its previous level.
"I feel better with my backhand, but it's not good enough to win a title like this or to win [against] the top guys in a row," he said.
Del Potro is No. 28 in the rankings.