Greek tennis star Stefanos Tsitsipas, who has been struggling with poor form and injuries for several years, underwent a special procedure as he seeks to return to form. Notably, he decided to undergo treatment after confirming participation in “the Six Kings Slam” in Riyadh this October, for which he will pocket $1.5 million. Meanwhile, contradictory reports have surfaced online casting doubts over the rest of the Greek star’s 2025 tennis season.
What is Known About Stefanos Tsitsipas’ Special Back Treatment
Doctors identified Tsitsipas’ issue as a blocked nerve, causing inflammation and pain, as per reports. Instead of surgery, the Greek appears to have undergone a percutaneous epidural injection to relieve swelling and acute discomfort. The treatment is less invasive than surgery and allows for a much faster recovery, enabling him to return to action within a short period.
However, contradictory reports had surfaced earlier, suggesting that the Greek had opted for surgery on his back to recover to remove a hernia that had been troubling him for several weeks. These reports were later discredited.
Had he opted for surgery, Tsitsipas would have faced at least six weeks on the sidelines, effectively ending his season. Thanks to the injection, he is expected to resume training almost immediately and return to competitive play soon.
Now, Tsitsipas appears to be on track to compete at the Six Kings Slam in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, which will take place on 15, 16, and 18 October 2025.
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The Greek stepped in after British No. 1 Jack Draper withdrew with a season-ending arm injury. He joins defending champion Sinner, Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic, Alexander Zverev, and Taylor Fritz in Riyadh.
Meanwhile, he has dropped out of the China Open in Beijing, which is being held later this month.
Why Tsitsipas’ 2025 Season Has Been Incredibly Concerning for Him
Tsitsipas’ 2025 season has been defined more by setbacks than successes. His year began with promise at the United Cup but quickly unraveled at the Australian Open, where he suffered his earliest exit since 2018, falling in the first round to Alex Michelsen.
A series of early defeats in Rotterdam and Doha further dented his confidence, despite a brief revival in Dubai, where he captured his first hard-court title since 2019.
However, momentum stalled again with his Round 1 Wimbledon retirement against Valentin Royer, citing back issues. His new coach, Goran Ivanisevic, delivered scathing public criticism, branding him “physically a disaster” and questioning his commitment. Shortly after this, Tsitsipas ended his relationship with the Croatian.
A second-round loss at the Canadian Open deepened the slump, but Tsitsipas announced a return to his roots by reinstating his father as coach. His woes continued at the US Open, where he fell to Daniel Altmaier in the second round.
Recently, Tsitsipas revealed that he has unfollowed everyone on his social media to reduce his ‘stress’ levels, encouraging other young people to do the same.
He said, “My goal is to show that I’m getting off social media and to give young kids, an incentive to get out there too. It’s about mental health, something that Grigor Dimitrov, Andrey Rublev and Naomi Osaka have recently mentioned, and I wanted to support that.”
Once ranked as high as No. 3 in the world, the Greek has fallen to No. 27 in the latest PIF ATP rankings.
