Stefanos Tsitsipas Casts Huge Doubt on his Future After Retiring from his Opening Round at Wimbledon

Stefanos Tsitsipas has not improved on his results since the appointment of Goran Ivanisevic as coach.

Stefanos Tsitsipas Casts Huge Doubt on his Future After Retiring from his Opening Round at Wimbledon

Stefanos Tsitsipas (via The Tennis Letter)

Stefanos Tsitsipas retired from his first-round match at Wimbledon, raising concerns about his future in the sport. The 24th seed was facing qualifier Valentin Royer when he called a medical time-out in the second set for a back issue. After falling behind 6-3, 6-2, he chose not to continue.

As per the reports from Punto de Break, the Greek star later revealed that he has been battling a chronic back injury. The issue has persisted since 2023, when he had to retire during a match at the ATP Finals against Holger Rune. Despite the ongoing struggle, Tsitsipas has ruled out surgery as a solution.

It’s hard to describe. I’m fighting a lot of wars these days. It’s really painful to find myself in a situation like this. One thing I really hate to do is retire or stop a match, but I’ve never imagined myself in a situation like this several times since the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin a couple of years ago. Since then, I’ve been very fragile with my body, and I’ve been fighting a war of feeling healthy and feeling comfortable going to extremes, which has been a tough battle. So I don’t really know. I feel completely… I feel like I’ve run out of answers. I don’t know. I’ve tried everything. I’ve done an incredible job with my fitness. I’ve done an incredible job with my physical therapy, so I’ve maximized everything I could do. Now I don’t have any answers. I don’t know what to do.

At just 26 years old, Tsitsipas is already contemplating his long-term future in tennis. He admitted that if the injury cannot be managed effectively, it could shorten his career. His comments hint at the seriousness of the problem and his frustration with limited options.

Physically, there was a day when I wasn’t well. That creates a lot of frustration, a lot of uncertainty, a lot of whys and hows and whens. It’s probably the most difficult situation I’ve ever faced because it’s an ongoing problem that doesn’t seem like it’s going to go away or lessen. I myself, as a person, have a limit at some point, so I’ll definitely have to have a final answer as to whether I want to do certain things or not in the next two months. It’s going to be tough, but if I see it continue like this, there’s no point in competing. If I’m not healthy, if the health isn’t there, then your whole tennis life becomes miserable.

The two-time Grand Slam finalist has 12 career titles but now faces uncertainty. With surgery off the table and no clear recovery plan, his path forward remains unclear as he evaluates how to manage the injury moving ahead.

Stefanos Tsitsipas retires at Wimbledon

2019 ATP Finals champion Stefanos Tsitsipas retired from his Wimbledon opener on Monday due to a recurring back injury, allowing French qualifier Valentin Royer to progress to the second round. Royer was leading 6-3, 6-2 when the Greek player decided to stop. Tsitsipas had taken a medical timeout in the second set, showing visible discomfort during the match.

Stefanos Tsitsipas Roland Garros French Open 2025
Stefanos Tsitsipas (Image via X/The Tennis Letter)

The former World No. 3 struggled throughout the 74 minutes on court. His movement was limited, and his serve faltered, landing only 43% of first serves. Just last week, coach Darren Cahill mentioned Tsitsipas had shown signs of back trouble while training with Jannik Sinner. Despite working with former Wimbledon champion Goran Ivanisevic, Tsitsipas couldn’t find the form needed on opening day.

His early exit leaves him with a 19-13 record for the 2025 season so far. He is the second-seeded male player to exit on Day 1, following Daniil Medvedev. The injury raises further concern over Tsitsipas’ fitness and consistency, especially given his long-standing back problems.

Currently 22nd in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin, Tsitsipas has not advanced past the third round in his last five tournaments. While his highlight this year remains his title in Dubai—his 12th career trophy—his future performances will depend heavily on how well he manages this persistent injury.

The Goran Ivanisevic experiment not working for Stefanos Tsitsipas

Two-time Grand Slam runners-up Stefanos Tsitsipas began working with former Wimbledon champion Goran Ivanisevic ahead of this year’s tournament, hoping the partnership would boost his chances on grass. However, his campaign was cut short due to a recurring back injury, which has plagued him for some time. The situation mirrors that of his partner, Paula Badosa, who is also managing a similar issue.

Stefanos Tsitsipas Wimbledon
Stefanos Tsitsipas Wimbledon (via the Tennis Letter)

Tsitsipas faced French qualifier Valentin Royer in the opening round. He quickly went two sets down and retired early in the third. While some might have seen it as a poor performance, the decision became clear once the extent of his injury was revealed. The back problem clearly hindered his ability to compete at his best.

Earlier this year, Tsitsipas showed strong form, winning the title in Dubai and playing well at Indian Wells. His switch to a new racquet had contributed positively, and his collaboration with Ivanisevic was expected to take him further. He had even mentioned recently that he wished he had brought Ivanisevic on board earlier.

Despite the disappointment at Wimbledon, Tsitsipas will now look to regroup and prepare for the hard-court season. The US swing offers a fresh opportunity, and he will likely continue with Ivanisevic to see if their work can produce better results going forward.