Wimbledon: Stefanos Tsitsipas retires from injury; future in doubt
What's the story
Two-time Grand Slam finalist Stefanos Tsitsipas was forced to retire from his opening-round match at 2025 Wimbledon. The Greek tennis star was trailing 3-6, 2-6 against French qualifier Valentin Royer when he decided to end the contest due to a persistent back injury. This marks yet another setback in Tsitsipas's ongoing battle with fitness issues. Following the match, he said, "I'm battling many wars these days."
Frustration expressed
Tsitsipas's emotional statement after early exit
After his early exit from Wimbledon, Tsitsipas expressed his frustration over the ongoing fitness problems. "It's really painful to see myself in a situation like this. I feel like I'm left without answers. I don't know. I've tried everything," he said. The Greek player recently started working with Goran Ivanisevic, Novak Djokovic's former coach, in hopes of overcoming these challenges.
Ongoing battle
Ongoing injury struggles and ranking slide
Tsitsipas has been dealing with a lower back injury since pulling out of the 2023 ATP Finals. Although the Greek star won in Dubai this year, his fitness issues has resulted in a slide in the ATP Rankings. Notably, Tsitsipas has reached a solitary quarter-final in his last nine Grand Slam appearances. His participation at the US Open is now in doubt.
Frustration
'Battling many wars,' says Tsitsipas
Tsitsipas, who has been facing perpetual injuries, received treatment on his back during his match against qualifier Valentin Royer. However, at 3-6, 2-6, the Greek star finally retired through injury. "It's tough to describe. I mean, I'm battling many wars these days. It's really painful to see myself in a situation like this," he said after retiring from the match.
Future
What about his future?
An injury-plagued career is haunting Tsitsipas, who is 26 at the moment. Following the match, he stated that surgery won't resolve his ongoing injury. "No, surgery would definitely be not an option, and the damage has been done already," he said. As of now, Tsitsipas has won 12 ATP titles with a career record of 364-177. It will be interesting to see if he makes a comeback.