"Stefanos Tsitsipas saw his group and said 'Paula I’m coming home'" - Fans react to injury rumors around the Greek star ahead of ATP Finals

Stefanos Tsitsipas reportedly injured his elbow during a practice session just a day before his opening match against Jannik Sinner at the 2023 Nitto ATP Finals. Fans reacted in droves to this news on Reddit.

According to reports from Turin, the Greek player abruptly ended his practice session with Carlos Alcaraz on Saturday. He departed the court after training for around 40 minutes with the Spaniard.

Tsitsipas cut short his training with Alexander Zverev too on Friday, after complaining of pain in his right elbow. It is pertinent to note that Tsitsipas underwent surgery to that same right elbow about a year ago.

Tennis enthusiasts on Reddit voiced their thoughts after hearing about Tsitsipas' reported injury. One fan felt that the Athens native was intimidated by his fellow players. They wrote:

“He saw his group and said 'Paula I’m coming home.’"

Fans react on Reddit

Another fan commented:

“Djokovic, Sinner in his group as well, it might be over for him.”

Yet another fan pointed out the outfit he wore for the ATP Finals photoshoot. They wrote:

“But he’s wearing his magic poncho, how could this happen??!???!!!”

Few more reactions from fans

Here are a few more reactions from tennis fans:

Some more reactions on Reddit

Stefanos Tsitsipas had arrived at the year-end event seemingly refreshed. This is the World No. 6's fifth consecutive appearance at the ATP Finals, and this year he is grouped with Novak Djokovic, Jannik Sinner, and Holger Rune.

If the Greek is forced to withdraw from the event, Polish player Hubert Hurkacz will be the first substitute, facing Sinner in the tournament opener on Sunday.

"It’s a very valuable asset if you are able to conquer and win it” - Stefanos Tsitsipas on ATP Finals tournament

Tsitsipas in action

The ATP Finals, according to Stefanos Tsitsipas, is more important than the Grand Slams. He recently stated that the tournament gathers "the best of the best" from the season, implying it's a tougher nut to crack as there are no easy wins against lower-ranked players to gain momentum.

He said:

"It’s a whole celebration. The ATP Finals is a commemoration and celebration of the best of the best in our sport. We all gather together and we get to play against each other and focus on the fact that we are the best in the world trying to fight for this mega trophy, which is a grand prize in our sport. It means a lot. I would consider it probably a bigger thing than a Slam, honestly. It has big prestige and it’s a very valuable asset if you’re able to conquer and win it."

Stefanos Tsitsipas won the ATP Finals trophy for the first time in 2019. He defeated tennis icon Roger Federer 6-3, 6-4 in the semis in London, before upstaging Dominic Thiem in three sets in the final.

Tsitsipas made it to the season-ending tournament this year after reaching the semifinal of the 2023 Paris Masters.