Stefanos Tsitsipas faced an unexpected turn of events at the 2023 ATP Finals in Turin as he withdrew due to injury during his match against Holger Rune, with the disappointed crowd jeering him in the backdrop. Earlier, there were rumors that Tsitsipas was not fully fit to participate in the prestigious tournament.
The No. 6 seed, needed a win against Rune to stay in the semifinals contention after a previous loss to Jannik Sinner in his first match of the tournament. However, after playing just 14 minutes on the court against his opponent, he encountered physical discomfort that led him to retire.
Stefanos Tsitsipas retires against Holger Rune at the ATP Finals
Very sad news. He’s been finding himself these last few weeks on court
Wishing him a quick recovery. ❤️🩹
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) November 14, 2023
Tsitsipas and Rune shared a handshake, where Rune can be seen showing sympathy and wishing him a speedy recovery. Despite calling the trainer after the third game, Tsitsipas decided he couldn’t continue, prompting a disappointed reaction from the Turin audience.
lol why even take the court only to be booed
— Rustin (@streetcleaner6) November 14, 2023
No it is not a sad news… it is disrespectful act from Tsitsipas to play in the tournament only because of the money. Will not support him anymore. Always been very arrogant and selfish 😡
— Marcin (@LukaszewiczMar) November 14, 2023
As speculation arose about Tsitsipas’s status for the next match against Novak Djokovic, a tennis enthusiast, probably a Hurkacz fan queried, “Does it mean Hurkacz is in or no need to start.” With Tsitsipas unlikely to advance to the semifinal stage by virtue of losing both his matches, it seems that he will now withdraw from the tournament without risking his injury further.
Does it mean Hurkacz is in or no need to start
— Agata Mikulska (@ag_mikulska) November 14, 2023
Hubie got screwed. Selfish Tsitsipuss!
— Kevin Moore e/acc (@Kevrmoore) November 14, 2023
Ranked world no. 9, Hubert Hurkacz is the no. 1 alternate, poised to replace him in the crucial match against Djokovic. This unexpected turn of events has ignited discussions about Hurkacz’s potential inclusion, adding further intrigue to the ATP Finals in Turin. Stefanos Tsitsipas’s premature departure has created some ambiguity at the ATP Finals, as the tournament progresses further.
Stefanos Tsitsipas’ injury makes the Green Group wide-open
With Stefanos Tsitsipas bowing out due to a back injury, the Green Group in the ATP Finals has become wide open, creating opportunities for all the remaining 3 players Djokovic, Sinner, and Rune to secure a spot in the semifinals. Despite the chance for Hurkacz to fill Tsitsipas’ spot, his inclusion at this stage would be inconsequential for him.
Djokovic could advance with a win over Sinner. Rune currently is atop his Group standings with a win and a loss. He needs to defeat Sinner in his final round-robin match to progress to the semifinal stage. Sinner needs to win either of his two remaining matches to secure his berth in the semifinals.
Stefanos apologizes in his post-match conference
In his post-match conference, Tsitsipas expressed regret to fans and the crowd, after withdrawing from his match at the prestigious ATP Finals in which he had qualified for a 5th time. He stated, “My apologies to all the fans and the crowd who came to support me today. Really, I’m gutted that I wasn’t able to finish the match.”
Stefanos Tsitsipas on his retirement to Holger Rune at ATP Finals:
“My apologies to all the fans who came today.. I’m gutted that I wasn’t able to finish. It’s a shame also not to give that spot to someone else to at least try & do something with it.”
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) November 14, 2023
Tsitsipas further acknowledged the unfortunate situation, saying, “It’s a shame also not to give that spot to someone else to at least try & do something with it.” Even if Hurkacz were to take his place for just one match, it would not impact his semifinal outcome in the tournament.