Stefanos Tsitsipas was hoping to make a triumphant return to tour-level action at the Shanghai Masters, but pulled out of the event before his first match.
Over a month after his second-round exit at the US Open, the Greek star was scheduled to play his first match back against Nuno Borges in the second round of the ATP Masters 1000 competition.
Tsitsipas withdrew from the tournament, however, following the first seed, Carlos Alcaraz.
The former world number three has now revealed the reason he did not feature in Shanghai, and has issued an apology to fans.
Stefanos Tsitsipas reveals why he did not play in Shanghai
In a post on X, Tsitsipas said: “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,” concluded Tsitsipas, whose ATP ranking has fallen to as low as 30th in the world this season.
Stefanos Tsitsipas’ recent injury struggles on the ATP Tour
The 27-year-old has not featured at an event during the Asian swing due to a back injury, which he recently received treatment for.
In an interview with ATP Tour, Tsitsipas said he visited the hospital to have a ‘special type of examination’ on his back.
He explained: “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.”
Tsitsipas is set to appear at the ‘Six Kings Slam’ event in Saudi Arabia, which starts on the 15th of October.
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