More bad news for Stefanos Tsitsipas: Croatia Open withdrawal deepens injury woes

Stefanos Tsitsipas has withdrawn from the Croatia Open Umag, despite expectations for his return after suffering an injury at Wimbledon. The Greek player will extend his time off the court after experiencing a recurrence of a back injury that has affected him for the past couple of seasons.

The former World No. 3 has been battling a back injury since the ATP Finals 2023, which has impacted his results and appearances over the last year and a half. In his last five Grand Slam main draw appearances, Tsitsipas only reached the second round twice and suffered three first-round defeats.

Recently, his new coach, Goran Ivanisevic – who previously worked with Novak Djokovic – strongly criticized the Greek's fitness, especially concerning his physical condition. Ivanisevic stated, "I've never seen a player so poorly prepared in my life. With my knee, I'm three times better prepared than him.”

In the first round of Wimbledon, Tsitsipas delivered a performance far from his usual standard, falling two sets behind French qualifier Valentin Royer. The 24th seed decided to retire from the match while trailing 3-6, 2-6, due to renewed physical discomfort.

Although his return was expected at the upcoming Croatia Open Umag, the two-time Grand Slam runner-up recently withdrew from the tournament, which is set to begin on July 21. The main favorites for the event will be Argentina's Francisco Cerundolo (No. 20) and Tallon Griekspoor (No. 29).

For now, Tsitsipas's calendar reportedly includes a definitive return to the courts at the Canadian Open, a tournament starting on August 4. There, he will look to regain his form in what has been a season to forget, leaving him currently at World No. 27.