Stefanos Tsitsipas has withdrawn from this month’s ATP Finals and will be replaced by Indian Wells winner Cameron Norrie, according to reports. The current world No 4 has decided to pull out of this evening’s group stage meeting with Casper Ruud in Turin, with Norrie set to face the Norwegian challenger instead.
Tsitsipas won the ATP Finals back in 2019 but will not receive the opportunity to mount a stunning repeat of his previous triumph this year.
He was beaten in straight sets by Andrey Rublev in his first match before deciding to end his participation in the tournament prior to his scheduled meeting with Ruud this evening, according to Sky Sport Italia.
It is claimed that Norrie, who sealed a remarkable Indian Wells triumph earlier this year, has been drafted in to replace Tsitsipas for his debut appearance at the ATP Finals.
The latter’s withdrawal is said to be due to an elbow injury that has flared up in recent weeks, hampering his chances of success.
Tsitsipas revealed earlier this month that he was playing through the pain after retiring from his Paris Masters clash with Alexei Popyrin.
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“My body could stand the pain but my mind could not stand to not compete,” he said in a Facebook post.
“Injuries are our best teachers of how much love we have for a sport, and yesterday I had to exit a match due to inflammation in my elbow that I have been dealing with for some time now.
“I have been silently competing for a few tournaments now and coping with the injury, but at a certain point I need to prioritize my health to have longevity in the sport that is very near to my heart.
“This is something I haven’t shared yet, but because some people have been wondering why I exited mid-match, this is the reason.”
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Tsitsipas looked a shadow of his usual self against Rublev, with his eblow injury stopping him from reaching his full potential at this year’s ATP Finals.
Meanwhile, Norrie will be relishing the opportunity to go as far as possible as he makes his first career appearance at the competition.
The Brit has already underlined his desire to trouble the likes of Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal by challenging for the world No 1 spot in the near future.
“I want to get to world No 1, that’s the ultimate goal,’ he told The Telegraph last month.
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“Everyone on my team has the same target. Clearly it’s extremely difficult to do, and there’s a long road ahead.
“But we set high expectations and we’re going to strive towards them.”
Norrie became the first British player to win the prestigious Indian Wells tournament earlier this year, beating Nikoloz Basilashvili over three sets in the final.
He climbed up the ATP rankings as a result and is now 12th in the worldwide singles order.
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