ATP rule that forced Stefanos Tsitsipas to play Indian Wells with injury is 'usually against the players best interests', says Noah Rubin

Noah Rubin holds the belief that the ATP rule, which compelled Stefanos Tsitsipas to participate in the 2023 Indian Wells Open despite his injury, is typically not in the best interest of the players.

Tsitsipas recently made a statement regarding his participation in the 2023 BNP Paribas Open, citing a rule set by the ATP as the primary reason for his decision to play despite not being fully fit.

In an interview with the Tennis Channel's Prakash Amritraj following his 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 victory over Cristian Garin at the Miami Open, Stefanos Tsitsipas shed light on his decision to participate in the Indian Wells tournament with a shoulder injury.

When asked to elaborate on his reasons for doing so, Tsitsipas cited a rule set by the ATP. He claimed the rule would result in the loss of a player's best Masters performance from the previous year and prevent any points from being added to it if they fail to compete in a Masters 1000 event.

"There is a rule in place in ATP that states that if you don’t play any Masters 1000, there are certain penalties such as, they take away your best Masters 1000 performance of last year and you can’t add points to that, which is pretty bad if you think about it," Tsitsipas said.

However, some fans have accused the Greek of playing the victim and suggesting that he was mistaken about the rule.

Former American tennis player Noah Rubin took to Twitter to support Stefanos Tsitsipas' claims. Rubin acknowledged that while tennis enforces rules that aim to enhance the quality of the game, these rules often conflict with the players' best interests.

"Add it to the list for “Toughest sport in the world”. The individual nature of the sport forces a rule that promotes the best product, but for the most part, is usually against the player's best interests," Rubin tweeted.

Stefanos Tsitsipas tasted defeat at the hands of Karen Khachanov at Miami Open 2023

Stefanos Tsitsipas at the 2023 Miami Open

Karen Khachanov defeated Stefanos Tsitsipas 7-6 (4), 6-4 in 93 minutes to reach the quarter-finals of the 2023 Miami Open.

Prior to the match, Tsitsipas had a commanding 6-0 lead in the ATP head-to-head matchup against Khachanov. However, on March 28, the Russian impressively put an end to his 23-match losing streak against Top 10 opponents by defeating the World No. 3.

“They say the third time is a charm, but for me, it took seven times, so I’m super happy. Not most importantly that I beat Stefanos, but I think with the way I’m playing,” Khachanov said to ATPTour.com. "I just want to continue that way, enjoy the process, and enjoy the journey. It continues.”