Arm injury forces Tsitsipas to retire after six games with Popyrin in Paris

Stefanos Tsitsipas retired due to injury just six games into his second-round contest with Australia’s Alexei Popyrin at the Rolex Paris Masters. The No 3-seeded Greek was suffering issues in the area around his right elbow and was seen grimacing in pain after some points.

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After Popyrin broke the Greek’s serve in the sixth game to lead 4-2, Tsitsipas told chair umpire Aurelie Tourte that he wanted to retire but that he would like to see the physio first.

The 23-year-old Greek, the ATP’s win leader in 2021 with 55, had a brief discussion with the doctor then immediately walked over to Popyrin’s chair to shake his hand.

Tsitsipas: I haven’t retired once in my life

The Greek hinted that he was protecting himself in order to ensure that he could be in top form at this year’s Nitto ATP Finals, which begin on November 14. He did not deny, however, that the pain was alarming.

“I haven’t retired once in my life, and it was something that I had to do today,” he said. “I have been feeling also I’m trying to be precautious for the next tournaments, which is the most important one for me. My arm has been – I have had an issue there for quite a while now. It has gotten bigger in the last couple of weeks, so I’m just trying to protect it.

“I felt the pain playing in the match, and I just don’t want for it to get worse than it is now.”

Tsitsipas says that rest and recovery is the best thing for his injury at the moment.

“I know how to treat it, but playing for every day, going out on the court practicing doesn’t make it better,” he said. “So, you know, it’s not easy to just stop, especially when you have important tournaments like this one here that I really want to do well and play well. It hurts a lot not to be able to play at the level that I’m expected to play, and I’m expecting myself to play.

“I’m going to have treatments. I’m going to try and have the best people treat me, and give me the best advice. Anything possible to recover and be 100% again.”