(VIDEO) "It kills me to not finish the tournament": Stefanos Tsitsipas sends devastating message after retiring from 2023 ATP Finals

Stefanos Tsitsipas has revealed his heartbreak at being unable to complete his match against Holger Rune at the 2023 Nitto ATP Finals in Turin, after he was forced to retire due to a lower back injury.

The World No. 6 qualified for the ATP Finals for the fifth consecutive year but prior to the tournament, there were already rumors about potential injuries as it was revealed he was experiencing issues with his elbow. However, Tsitsipas was given the green light by doctors to compete and took on Jannik Sinner in his first Group Stage match, losing in straight sets.

The Greek player returned to the court at the Pala Alpitour in Turin to face eighth seed Rune in his second round-robin clash, but it was clear early on that something was off. Tsitsipas called a physio to the court after just the third game and in a devastating twist, he was forced to withdraw from the match then and there.

After the match, Tsitsipas shared his thoughts on the incident, apologizing to fans and revealing that he felt "gutted" at the fact that he had to pull out of the tournament: "My apologies to all the fans and the crowd that came to support me today and watch the match. I'm really gutted that I wasn't able to finish the match," he said.

The 25-year-old added that he was sorry not to give his spot to the first alternate, World No. 11 Hubert Hurkacz, who came on the court to play an exhibition match against second alternate Taylor Fritz after Tsitsipas withdrew: "And it's a shame also not to give that spot to someone else to at least try and do something with it," he continued.

Tsitsipas then revealed that his decision to play came after "countless visits" with his doctors, who had said he was ok to compete: "My doctors and the countless visits that I had in the last few days suggested that I play and they gave me the green light to go and try it for myself.

"Unfortunately, I felt terrible on the court and I did what I could do and the best possible way to be ready and fit for this match but it didn't work out," he added. Tsitsipas was booed off the court by several fans who were disappointed at only seeing a few minutes of play. However, he stressed that retiring from the match was not a decision that he took lightly.

"I hate retiring from matches. I'm not the kind of person that likes leaving mid-match and it kills me not to be able to finish this tournament, the one that I've prepped for for so long and made sure that I'm completely fit to perform at my best and show my capacity as a player," he concluded.