Stefanos Tsitsipas, the runner-up at the Australian Open, downgraded his hopes for the Indian Wells ATP Masters on Wednesday, claiming that he is still dealing with the shoulder problem that forced him to withdraw from Acapulco last month.
The world number three from Greece, seeded second in the famous hard court tournament in the California desert, had hoped to improve on his run to the Australian Open final, where he lost to Serbian great Novak Djokovic.
The Miami Masters and Indian Wells Open are both on his entry list, however he sustained a shoulder injury following his Melbourne run, and he stated that his “primary priority is getting my body ready and mended for the clay court swing.”
He declared, “I’m still getting better. “I don’t think I’ll be able to delve deep,” I remarked, “personally I haven’t mentioned it a lot in my work.
I had a pretty strong start to the year, so it’s a very unfortunate setback at this time of year.
“A Grand Slam final is something I hadn’t experienced before, so I think it’s a nice way to start the year.
To come back to health, it’s crucial to maintain faith in a regular routine, nevertheless.
With Djokovic still not allowed to enter the country due to his refusal to receive the Covid-19 vaccine, Tsitsipas, seeded second behind world number two Carlos Alcaraz, will play either French veteran Gael Monfils or Australian Jordan Thompson in his opening matchup. Both players are scheduled to play on Wednesday night.
Seven months after being sidelined due to a foot injury that ultimately turned out to be a plantar fascia rupture during a match in Montreal, Monfils, 36, is making a comeback.
Also, it will be Monfils’ first competition since the birth of his daughter Skai in October, which he and his wife, WTA player Elina Svitolina, celebrated.
