Although he tried to mask the pain initially, two-time Major finalist Stefanos Tsitsipas was in such discomfort that he withdrew from the ATP Finals three games into his second match against Holger Rune last month with a back injury that worsened. Still not 100% now, he’s hoping he’ll be fit enough to lead Greece at the United Cup in little over two weeks’ time alongside Maria Sakkari again.
Tsitsipas struggled to get out of bed, is not yet 100%
Two-time Major finalist and former world no. 3 Stefanos Tsitsipas has discussed the intense pain felt by his recent back injury in an interview with Tennis Majors, as the 25-year-old tentatively prepares for the 2024 season in a few weeks’ time.
Having lost in straight-sets (6-4, 6-4) against eventual runner-up Jannik Sinner on November 12, he could only manage three games against Denmark’s Holger Rune before calling for the trainer and deciding to retire through injury.
Heavily booed by the Turin crowd as he departed, he naturally defended his actions saying he wouldn’t have played in the first place had he felt unable to compete and finish the match with a pre-existing issue, but the pain was too much to bare.
“The injury was really painful, because I wasn’t able to finish the last tournament of the year so it had a big impact on my body.
In the days following the ATP Finals, I found it hard to wake up and get out of bed – very strong pain for one or two weeks. It’s getting better and I’m doing lots of things everyday to reduce it as much as possible, get back to normal quickly, but it will take a little time… I’m not at 100% yet.”
After a semifinal finish last season, Tsitsipas is set to represent Greece at the United Cup tournament again, kicking off on Dec. 29 in Australia. Partnered alongside Canada and Chile in Group B, their first matchup is against the latter on January 2, Nicolas Jarry awaits in singles before a doubles rubber – availability permitting.
Since suffering a five-set US Open defeat in round two by Swiss talent Dominic Stricker, Tsitsipas endured an underwhelming end to the 2023 campaign.
Jarry beat him in Beijing, the week after he split Davis Cup ties against Slovakia while Ugo Humbert (Shanghai) and French teenager Arthur Fils (Antwerp) were among those who also prevailed at his expense in other tournaments.
Daniil Medvedev (Vienna) and Grigor Dimitrov (Paris) extinguished his hopes of singles silverware to end a disruptive year before the ATP Finals, though he and younger brother Petros won an indoor doubles title in Belgium.
It’d be wise for him to focus on recovery, rather than playing through injuries and risking aggravation, if his inconsistent results are anything to go by this past year.
Picture source: Getty Images
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