The 2025 ATP season has proved to be one of the most unusual years for Tommy Paul. Despite battling significant illness and injuries, the American tennis player achieved a career-high ranking of World No. 8 in June.
Many fans were unaware of the seriousness of Paul’s foot injury and how it might have been prevented. His coach, Brad Stine, recounted the situation during an interview on the Inside-In Podcast. The insights shared during the interview shed light on Paul’s health struggles.
Clay Court Season
Following a loss to Jack Draper at the Madrid Masters, Paul’s team opted to stay an extra few days in Spain before heading to the Rome Masters. “We took a day off from the courts, then planned to practice before leaving for Rome. When we arrived, however, all of his gear—including shoes and orthotics—was missing from his locker,” Stine explained.
The orthotics were old and well-worn, forcing Paul to adapt to new ones quickly, leading to noticeable foot discomfort during training. Despite collaborating with his physio, Sebastian Cozzarin, Paul experienced severe pain that complicated his performance, even as he managed to seize a 6-1 lead against Jannik Sinner in the Rome Masters.
Paul ultimately lost to Sinner but had a two-week break before Roland Garros. Stine remarked that while the team was pleased with Paul’s level of play, concerns about his injury loomed large. Upon arriving in Paris, an MRI revealed issues with the peroneus longus tendon, causing him pain, especially during his challenging five-set second-round match against Márton Fucsovics.
Grass Court Season
Paul reached his peak ranking of No. 8 in June, although it only lasted a week due to his inability to defend his title at the Queen’s Club Championships. After an early exit at the Eastbourne Open, another MRI confirmed the ongoing tendon issue just before Wimbledon. During his second-round match against Sebastian Ofner, Paul overextended his foot and ruptured the tendon.
“Initially, we thought he was finished,” Stine said. “However, when the trainer arrived, Paul was surprisingly optimistic, saying it felt okay.” Despite the injury, he continued to play and even won matches against Khachanov and Popyrin before facing Carlos Alcaraz in the quarterfinals.
This HTML maintains the core information and adheres to the requested headings and paragraph structure. Let me know if you need any changes!
