Stefanos Tsitsipas was forced to retire from his first-round match against qualifier Valentin Royer at the 2025 Wimbledon Championships due to a recurring back injury. The Greek star also spoke at length about the issue, which has been bothering him since 2023, and even hinted at the possibility of stepping away from the sport.
Just hours after his exit from the grass-court Major, Tsitsipas shared a cryptic message in a post now deleted.
Stefanos Tsitsipas Shared an Ambiguous Message After Wimbledon Heartbreak
The World No. 26 struggled from the outset against Royer, falling behind 6-3, 6-2 before deciding to retire from the match. He seemed frustrated while expressing his sentiments in the post-match press conference. Tsitsipas also revealed that he’s been battling the same back issue since the 2023 ATP Finals in Turin, where he was also forced to withdraw.
“I’m fighting a lot of wars these days. It’s really painful to find myself in a situation like this,” He said.
Tsitsipas, who was in the top 10 last year, has witnessed a significant dip in form, falling to No. 26, with his recurring injury playing a major role. Moreover, the Greek has reached just one quarterfinal in his last nine Grand Slam appearances. And although he claimed the Dubai Duty Free Championships title in February, he has struggled to find his rhythm, mostly in 2025.
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Just hours after his abrupt withdrawal from the Wimbledon Championships, Tsitsipas shared a cryptic message on X. However, the post was later deleted.
“You instruct others in how to treat you, through what you allow, what you stop, and what you walk away from. Every act of tolerance speaks, even in silence,” the message read.
As noted, Tsitsipas looked out of form on court and struggled with his movement, landing only 43% of his first serves.
Stefanos Tsitsipas in Search of His ‘Final Answer’ Amid Injury Struggles
During his post-match press conference, Tsitsipas admitted that his ongoing back issue remains persistent and unresolved. The Greek added that he’ll soon have to decide whether to continue competing or take a break.
“It’s probably the most difficult situation that I’ve ever been faced with, because it’s an ongoing issue that doesn’t seem to be disappearing or fading off as much. Myself, as a person, I have a limit at some point, so I’ll definitely have to have my final answer on whether I want to do stuff or not in the next couple of months,” he said.Â
Tsitsipas currently holds an underwhelming 19-13 win-loss record in 2025 and became the second men’s seed to exit the tournament on the first day after Daniil Medvedev.
