Stefanos Tsitsipas breaks silence after sudden withdrawal from Shanghai Masters
NewsMonday, 06 October 2025 at 18:20
Stefanos Tsitsipas has provided more details after making a late decision to withdraw from the 2025 Shanghai Masters.
The Greek No. 1 initially did not say anything about his removal from the draw. Instead, the tournament and ATP confirmed the move without any announcement from Tsitsipas for the Chinese fans.
Despite his mainly challenging 2025, Tsitsipas is well-liked by fans worldwide for his entertaining style of play, meaning he might have disappointed many had he said nothing about withdrawing from the Shanghai Masters.
Tsitsipas avoided that possibility by releasing a statement on social media. The 2021 French Open runner-up said he could not play because of a physical issue and apologized to his Chinese supporters.
"Hi everyone, I've decided to withdraw from the Shanghai Masters due to a physical issue. It's always a pleasure to play here. The atmosphere and support from the Chinese fans mean a great deal to me. I'm sorry I can't continue this time, but I'll focus on recovery and look forward to returning stronger. Thank you for your continued support."
While Tsitsipas is quite vague about his physical issue, the ATP said he cited a leg injury when withdrawing. The severity of that issue is unknown at this point, with the 27-year-old not shedding any light on that.
Tsitsipas has been struggling with a chronic back problem for a couple of years. Hopefully, that issue does not surface again, and he can return from his leg injury swiftly and without any further setbacks.
Tsitsipas will try to be fit in time for the 2025 Six Kings Slam
Jack Draper was initially one of the players chosen for this year's Six Kings Slam, which begins on September 15th. Jannik Sinner won the 2024 edition in Riyadh and earned an extraordinary $6,000,000 for that effort.
Unfortunately for Draper, he ended his season early last month because of an arm injury. Tsitsipas was his Six Kings Slam replacement, a move that surprised some after enduring a challenging season.
Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz will receive byes at the Six Kings Slam. Sinner, the world No. 2 and defending champion, might feel that's harsh on him, but the $1,500,000 participation fee can help mitigate that.
At this stage, further withdrawals from the event in Riyadh cannot be ruled out. Alcaraz did not play in Shanghai because of an injury he sustained during his 2025 Japan Open title run. That issue does not seem too serious, though.
Sinner retired from his round of 32 match in Shanghai against Tallon Griekspoor after suddenly cramping up in the hot conditions. He struggled to walk from the pain, and his title defense ended disappointingly.
Despite reaching the round of 16 with a gritty three-set victory against Yannick Hanfmann, Djokovic vomited twice while battling in the brutally hot conditions. His resilience to win at age 38 was outstanding.
Alexander Zverev, also on the Six Kings Slam entry list, was ridiculed by many fans after losing to Arthur Rinderknech in Shanghai. The German claimed after the opening round that courts are being made similar to suit Alcaraz and Sinner, but then could not capitalize on both men being out of the event.
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