World no. 27 Stefanos Tsitsipas has been announced as Jack Draper's replacement for next month's Six Kings Slam in Riyadh. The move has caught many by surprise.
The Greek star, once a permanent fixture inside the top-10 and a Major contender, will enter the exhibition while sitting outside the top-25 after a challenging season marked by inconsistency and setbacks.
The decision by the organizers raised eyebrows. Last year's edition featured Holger Rune and Daniil Medvedev, who are still ranked higher than Tsitsipas. However, the organizers opted for a different option.
Stefanos will join Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, Novak Djokovic, Alexander Zverev and Taylor Fritz in Riyadh. Thus, he will get a chance to share the stage with the world's finest rival, something he rarely did this year.
The Greek will try to impose his attacking styl and shine as the only player with a one-handed backhand in the draw. The task is huge, but the prize money of $6 million serves as a massive motivation.
Whether this surprise inclusion will reignite his much-needed confidence remains to be seen.Stefanos will have a golden stage to remind everyone he was once tipped as a Major contender.
Tsitsipas suffered a heartbreaking Davis Cup loss against Joao Fonseca last weekend in Athens in front of Novak Djokovic. The Greek once again did not compete at 100% physically, and he withdrew from the ATP 500 event in Beijing.
The former world no. 3 is 22-18 this season, failing to win back-to-back matches since Barcelona in April! While he remains in the top-25 on the ATP Race to Turin, Stefanos will try to raise his level and embrace a strung run in the closing stages of the season.
The Greek decided to reunite with his father after a terrible short stint with Goran Ivanisevic. If he keeps his ongoing back issues under control, Tsitsipas will try to gain places on the ATP ranking list and target the top-10 return in 2026.
