“My body said enough”: Stefanos Tsitsipas reveals reason behind retiring from Barcelona Open quarterfinal

Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas has opened up about the reason behind retiring from the ongoing Barcelona Open. The 26-year-old was forced to retire from the quarterfinal of the ongoing ATP 500 event taking place in Barcelona against France’s Arthur Fils.

The interesting thing was the fact that Tsitsipas lasted on the court for just six minutes in the last-eight clash. He cemented his spot in the quarterfinal after beating America’s Sebastian Korda in the round of 16 in straight sets with a score of 7-6, 6-4. Tsitsipas, in a post on his official account on the social media platform Instagram, opened up about the reason behind withdrawing from the competition. The Athens-born star stated that his body told him ‘enough’ and that the primary reason behind retiring so soon in the match was his back injury.

“Barcelona, you’re one of my favourite stops on the tour,” he wrote. “Playing here is always a thrill… the clay, the energy, and the passion of the people make it special. This time, though, my body said enough. I had to retire due to back discomfort. Thank you for the love and support, you’re incredible. I’ll come back stronger and ready to enjoy this amazing city again.”

The result is another setback for Tsitsipas, who had hoped to bounce back after failing to defend his title at the Monte Carlo Masters. Last year, the former world number three also failed to repeat his heroics of the previous season in these two clay tournaments, where he won one and finished as the runner-up in the other. These results will also have an impact on the rankings of Tsitsipas, who is currently ranked 16th in men’s tennis in the singles category. Last year, Tsitsipas finished as the runner-up at the Barcelona Open after losing the final to Norway’s Casper Ruud in straight sets with a score of 7-5, 6-3.