"Don’t think I will be capable of going deep" - Stefanos Tsitsipas blatantly divulges his low expectations at Indian Wells 2023 amid injury concerns
Stefanos Tsitsipas has divulged that he has very low expectations heading into the 2023 Indian Wells Masters, as he lamented his injury concerns.
Tsitsipas commenced his campaign in 2023 on a bright note, reaching the final of the Australian Open only to lose out against an in-form Novak Djokovic for the title. However, soon after leaving Melbourne, the Greek player disclosed that he was suffering from a shoulder injury.
Things have been going south for Stefanos Tsitsipas on tour ever since, as he endured a second-round exit at the ABN Amro Open and had to pull out of Acapulco as well.
With the injury still affecting his performance, Tsitsipas revealed that he has little to no expectations for himself at Indian Wells.
"I am still in recovery and I won’t be pretending … that I have chances of doing well in these next two tournaments, because that would be wrong. I haven’t said it a lot of times in my career but I don’t think I will be capable of going deep," said the World No. 3 in a press conference on Wednesday.
Tsitsipas also made it clear that the priority is to get himself fit and ready for the clay court season, hinting that he will not put in a real effort in the ATP Masters 1000 tournament.
"The main priority is getting my body ready and fixed for the clay court swing," he added.
He also opined that it is wise to take things slowly and wait for the body to recover to the fullest rather than rushing and complicating things.
"I need to take my time and have the right medical team by my side to help me recover to the fullest and not have complications like this in the future," the 24-year-old expressed.
"Made a deal with myself that I will not skip" - Stefanos Tsitsipas on not pulling out from Indian Wells despite injury issues
Stefanos Tsitsipas could have easily withdrawn from Indian Wells and even the successive Miami Open, considering the injury issues he is currently undergoing. However, the Greek player has revealed that he has made a pact with himself of not skipping the Sunshine Double no matter what comes his way.
"I made a deal with myself that I will not be skipping the next two events," he stated during the press conference.
Stefanos Tsitsipas will begin his campaign at Indian Wells on Friday with a Round of 64 fixture against 87th ranked Jordan Thompson.