Stefanos Tsitsipas Joins Jannik Sinner As Tennis Scheduling Strikes Another Withdrawal at Shanghai Masters

The Shanghai Masters is going through a rough patch. The season’s end means players have been on their feet for months. Just yesterday, defending champion of this Masters 1000 and 2025 China Open winner, Jannik Sinner, was forced to retire mid-match. Injury? Not exactly. The air’s brutal humidity pushed close to 90%. Then came the cramps, locking up his legs despite taking the first set. Soon, he couldn’t walk and had to pull out.

Remember Stefanos Tsitsipas battling that nagging back injury at the Davis Cup and for the majority of this season? It’s been haunting him for years, forcing him to pull out of Wimbledon and now it’s back. It forced him out of Shanghai when he was set to take on his opening match against Nuno Borges. He turned to social media with an update.

He wrote, “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.”