Stefanos Tsitsipas health: Tennis star’s ‘struggle’ after sustaining injury

Australian Open: Stefanos Tsitsipas reacts to victory over Nadal

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Back in November, the fourth seed withdrew from both the Paris Masters and the ATP Finals as he struggled with an elbow injury. With his involvement in the Australian Open looking murky before it had even begun, this withdrawal from Paris was the first time in the star’s career that he failed to complete a match, going a whopping 281 matches without retiring. Yet, the injury was reported to have caused the 23-year-old so much pain and grief that he had to have surgery on the area.

Posting on Facebook back in 2021, with a picture of his elbow in bandages, Tsitsipas wrote: “Things often get tougher before they get easier, but with each struggle we get an opportunity to create our own unique story.

“Some days life is all about your dreams, hopes and visions for the future. There are also days where life is just about putting one foot in front of the other and that’s okay too.

“To all the fans, thank you for your continuous support and encouragement. [I’m now] focused on a healthier and happier future.”

After a shaky return at the ATP Cup, the star revealed more about his injury and how he planned to manage it ahead of Australia.

Following a loss to Argentina’s Diego Schwartzman, he told the press that he was unsure about the way his elbow would react, noticing that he had “a little” pain.

“I haven’t had [this kind of injury] before, so I don’t know,” Tsitsipas added.

“I have done lots of things in a couple of weeks to try and protect it as much as I can and get it to 100 percent again.

“I hit balls I was scared to hit two weeks ago.

“It gets better and better every single day almost. We have plenty of time before the Australian Open begins.”

Fortunately for the young star, his goal of competing in Australia has come true, but the elbow injury is far from over.

After his match and tight victory over Sweden’s Mikael Ymer, Tsitsipas admitted that he was experiencing more “unforced errors” than he is used to.

Talking to the press after the match he said: “[I will try to] decrease the unforced errors, I think I had a few more than I usually have.

“When you’re a professional tennis player, these small things can make a massive difference.

“Mikael is someone that I’ve been competing with for the past 15 years. We are the same age, so it’s special to be facing each other on this court. We started from eight years old playing together and now we are playing on Rod Laver [Arena].

“He gave me a hard time, really going after every single ball and staying in the match for as long as he could.”

The University of Michigan Health explains that elbow injuries can be minor or serious, but are the most common cause of any pain felt in the area.

Elbow injuries occur most commonly during:

• Sports or recreational activities.
• Work-related tasks.
• Work or projects around the home.
• Falls.

When sustaining an elbow injury, symptoms that may be felt include pain, swelling, numbness, tingling, weakness or a decreased range in motion.

For someone like Tsitsipas, a condition such as tendinitis may have occurred. According to MedlinePlus, this condition is characterised by inflammation or injury to the tendons that attach muscle to bone.

Treatment for an elbow injury can include multiple things. These include first aid measures; application of a brace, splint, or cast; physical therapy; medicines; and in some cases, surgery. The type of treatment an individual receives depends on:

• The location, type, and severity of the injury.
• How long ago the injury occurred.
• Your age, health condition, and activities, such as work, sports, or hobbies.

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