Stefanos Tsitsipas pulls out of Vienna, marking third straight ATP withdrawal

Stefanos Tsitsipas’ injury troubles continue to disrupt his up-and-down 2025 season.

On Tuesday, the former world No. 3 withdrew from the Erste Bank Open in Vienna citing a back injury just hours before he was set to take the court for his first-round match against No. 4 seed Lorenzo Musetti. He was replaced in the draw by lucky loser Hamad Medjedovic.

This marks Tsitsipas’ third straight withdrawal from an ATP event. He previously pulled out of tournaments in Beijing and Shanghai, each time citing physical issues.

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The 27-year-old has been battling a chronic low back injury throughout the season and hasn’t played an official match since representing Greece in the Davis Cup tie against Brazil on September 13–14. In that tie, held in Athens, he defeated Thiago Seyboth Wild but was broken while serving for the match against Joao Fonseca, who closed out a 6-4, 3-6, 7-5 victory as Brazil clinched the win.

Following the tie, Greek media reported that Tsitsipas had received medical treatment for his back, especially after he skipped the Beijing tournament. He later addressed rumors of surgery with a statement on social media: “In light of recent reports, I would like to clarify that I have not undergone back surgery and I am doing well.” He confirmed the procedure was a “special type of examination.”

Speaking to press in Shanghai, Tsitsipas said: “My focus would be a combination of seeing what my back allows me to do now and reconnecting a little bit with the wins. Top of my list right now, I would definitely like to see a few matches in a row without back pain...

“I won’t go into details, but it’s something that did help me a lot. I readjusted and fixed my back. So I’m just waiting to see how that responds in matches and how I’m able to compete in a much more healthy state.”

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Despite arriving early in Shanghai to acclimate and prepare, Tsitsipas—seeded No. 24 and slated to face Nuno Borges in the second round—ultimately withdrew hours before the match, this time citing a leg injury. Aleksandar Vukic took his place in the draw.

A similar story unfolded in Vienna. Tsitsipas once again arrived ahead of schedule and even participated in tournament promotional events, including a wiener schnitzel cooking demonstration, before announcing his withdrawal on Tuesday.

Currently ranked No. 25 in the world, Tsitsipas is next scheduled to compete at the Rolex Paris Masters (October 25 – November 2), followed by the inaugural Hellenic Championship, an ATP 250 event in Athens (November 2 – 8).