Stefanos Tsitsipas retires in the second round against Alexei Popyrin

Barely arrived, already gone. As he entered the Rolex Paris Masters this Wednesday, Stefanos Tsitsipas was forced to give up in the first round of his second round match against Alexei Popyrin. Led 4-2 in the first act, the Greek, 3rd in the world, preferred to give up after 27 minutes of play because of a pain in the right elbow to the chagrin of the Parisian public who whistled this premature withdrawal.

Tsitsipas’ withdrawal was a little surprise, as he lacked the body language of an injured player in the first five games. Author of a correct start to the match but nothing more, the Greek began to decline during the 6th game, the one where he conceded the break. A service game he had started well, even getting three 3-3 balls in all, before being caught by his opponent and the pain. After saving a first break point, to advantage, the Greek showed the first signs of pain by shaking his arm and wincing.

Tsitsipas’ 73rd game this season

As soon as his engagement was lost, the Athenian went to see the chair umpire to request the immediate arrival of the physiotherapist, without waiting for the change of side. A protocol request which would announce the rest: an outright withdrawal. His discussion with the practitioner only lasted a few moments, the time to explain where he was in pain and to make his final decision. He had warned Popyrin of his primary intention, that of stopping, by telling him “sorry“when the latter came by to join his bench.

Lucky loser in this tournament, Popyrin takes advantage of the withdrawal of the finalist from Roland-Garros, who played his 73rd game of the season there, to go to the round of 16 at Bercy. There he will face his compatriot James Duckworth. A very surprising poster, but that’s also Bercy, it’s the tournament of surprises.