Tommy Paul Withdraws From Shanghai as Injury Puts ATP Finals Hopes at Risk

World No. 15 Tommy Paul’s 2025 season has been a punishing battle with injuries, derailing his consistency on the ATP Tour. His French Open run was hampered by a painful abdominal strain, followed by a devastating tendon rupture in his foot during his Wimbledon clash with Sebastian Ofner. Just when it seemed Paul had turned a corner, reaching the US Open third round, fate struck again with another setback against Alexander Bublik. Now, as the tour shifts focus to the Shanghai Masters, heartbreak hits once more: Paul has withdrawn, his ATP Finals hopes hanging by a thread as his fight to stay healthy continues.

Tommy Paul has officially withdrawn from the Shanghai Masters, which begins on October 1. “Paul had an outside chance to make Turin but he is the second top 20 player (after Draper) to withdraw from Shanghai,” Morgado wrote, summing up the blow to the American’s late-season push.

This withdrawal carries heavy ranking consequences. Paul reached the round of 16 in Shanghai last year, which means the 28-year-old will drop 100 ATP points once the event concludes. For a player chasing a spot in the prestigious ATP Finals in Turin, every point counts, making this setback sting even more.

His absence also shakes up the draw, opening the door for France’s Arthur Cazaux, who now gains direct entry into the main draw without having to battle through qualifying rounds. A silver lining for the French camp, this reshuffle could prove significant for Cazaux’s own ranking climb.

Paul had an outside chance to make Turin but he is the second top 20 player (after Draper) to withdraw from Shanghai. https://t.co/UOg1aKHA55

— José Morgado (@josemorgado) September 23, 2025

Adding to the narrative, Paul had also pulled out of the Laver Cup earlier this month, joining Ben Shelton on the withdrawal list. Their spots were filled by fellow Americans Reilly Opelka and Alex Michelsen, who helped carry Team World to its third Laver Cup title, sealed by Taylor Fritz on the final day. 

Paul, a member of the victorious 2023 Team World squad, was forced to watch this year’s celebrations from afar, his injury woes continuing to cast a shadow over what was shaping up to be a breakthrough season.

(More to come…)

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