Watch: Stefanos Tsitsipas gets booed off the court at ATP Finals in Turin as he retires mid-match against Holger Rune after just 17 minutes on court

The Italian crowd was less than impressed by Stefanos Tsitsipas’ mid-match retirement from his 2023 ATP Finals match against Holger Rune.

Stefanos Tsitsipas and Holger Rune, drawn in the Green Group, started their respective ATP Finals campaigns with a loss. Tsitsipas registered a 6-4, 6-4 defeat against home-favorite Jannik Sinner. Meanwhile, Rune was outfoxed by defending champion Novak Djokovic in three sets, 7-6 (4), 6-7 (1), 6-3.

Both players were thus in pursuit of their first win at the tournament when they took the Centre Court on Tuesday, November 14. Their clash, however, did not pan out as planned.

Just 17 minutes into the encounter, with Rune leading 2-1 on serve, Stefanos Tsitsipas called for a medical time-out regarding a back injury. The World No. 6, who had shown signs of struggle during his practice sessions as well, ultimately decided it was best to retire from the match after a lengthy conversation with the physical trainer. His retirement thus granted Holger Rune his first-ever ATP Finals win.

Dejected, the Greek waved at the crowd and proceeded to shake hands with the umpire and his Danish opponent. The crowd, however, were unimpressed and expressed their disappointment over the premature conclusion by booing Tsitsipas off the court.

Watch the video below:

Following the 2019 champion’s withdrawal, ATP Finals alternates Hubert Hurkacz and Taylor Fritz will now compete in a one-set exhibition match.

While the day session was a damp squib, a blockbuster match-up between Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner awaits during the evening session on November 14.

Both the players have scored a win in their opening matches and will look to carry on the momentum in the upcoming tie. Sinner will additionally enjoy the support from his home crowd as he chases glory.

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Hubert Hurkacz to replace Stefanos Tsitsipas at ATP Finals 2023 following his retirement against Holger Rune

Stefanos Tsitsipas and Holger Rune at the 2023 ATP Finals

Thanks to Stefanos Tsitsipas’ retirement, Hubert Hurkacz, the first alternate at the 2023 ATP Finals, will now take the Greek’s place in the Green Group.

The Pole, however, will have his work cut out as he takes on Novak Djokovic in the final round-robin match on Thursday, November 16. With Tsitsipas trailing 0-2 in the group, Hurkacz will also heavily rely on the results of the other remaining matches to have a chance at making it to the knockout stages.

Meanwhile, Holger Rune will now fancy his chances of making the semifinals as he awaits Jannik Sinner in their final round-robin match on Thursday (November 16). The Dane has registered one win and one loss so far, and will soon be tied with either Djokovic or Sinner depending on the outcome of their upcoming match-up.