Stefanos Tsitsipas made a shock early exit from the Barcelona Open quarter-final on Friday, retiring just minutes into his match against Arthur Fils. The Greek tennis star was trailing 2-0 in the first set when he abruptly ended the match, sparking concern and speculation among fans and commentators.
The match had barely begun when Tsitsipas called for a medical timeout just six minutes in. Though he returned to the court shortly afterward, it quickly became clear he was not in condition to continue. The world No. 16 made the decision to retire, marking a sudden and unexpected end to the high-stakes clash.
Fils advances with mixed emotions
While the result officially sends Arthur Fils into the semi-finals, the Frenchman was left feeling less than celebratory. Speaking candidly after the match, Fils admitted his frustration over the brief encounter.
We played six minutes and will now stop for six minutes… he remarked, clearly disappointed by the anticlimactic finish.
Fils had been gearing up for a serious battle against Tsitsipas, who has a strong record in Barcelona, reaching the finals in the last two consecutive years.
I think it’s the back. I’m not very sure, to be honest, Fils speculated about the Greek player’s condition.
I was ready to battle for a few hours because he’s a champion. Every time we play we have tough matches. My wish is he’s going to be ready for the next weeks and for French Open. I wish him the best. I don’t know what he had but I wish him the best, he added.
Next Up: A rematch with Alcaraz
Fils now sets his sights on a high-profile semi-final matchup against world No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz. The two recently met in Monte Carlo, where Alcaraz secured a hard-fought victory.
I have another great match against Carlitos. We had a great fight in Monte Carlo. Let’s hope we have a nice fight tomorrow as well, Fils said. Tomorrow is going to be different. We are in Spain. He’s playing great here. I think he won twice already. So yeah, it’s going to be a nice one.
With the semi-finals looming, all eyes will be on Fils as he looks to capitalize on this unexpected opportunity.