The Greek tennis star Contemplated Walking Away Amid Pain-Filled Campaign
The athlete entered the previous US Open as the 26th seed.
Stefanos Tsitsipas has revealed he pondered ending his career because of severe back issues during the 2025 tennis year.
At 27 years old, the player once ranked as high as third globally, finished as runner-up to Novak Djokovic in the finals of the 2021 French Open and the 2023 Australian Open.
Now ranked 36th in the world following minimal competition since his early exit at the US Open in August, he stated that ongoing treatment is finally showing positive results.
"My greatest anticipation is to observe how my body responds during regular practice with regard to my injury," commented Tsitsipas.
"The biggest fear centered on if I could complete a match," the athlete continued, explaining the pain plagued him "over the last half a year or more."
"I would wonder, 'Am I able to play another contest pain-free?'"
"It was genuinely scary following the loss in Flushing Meadows [to Germany's Daniel Altmaier]. I could not to walk for two days. That's when you start reconsidering your career's future."
He also reported satisfaction regarding his current recovery plan after finishing five weeks of off-season preparation without any pain.
He is scheduled to compete with the Greek team in the United Cup, drawn against Naomi Osaka's Japan and the British team led by Emma Raducanu. The competition will be held in Perth and Sydney in early January, the week preceding the season's first major.
"My main goal next season is to stop worrying about finishing matches," he expressed.
"It provides fantastic feedback to know you had a pre-season in good health – I hope it continues. I want to deliver in 2026 and at the United Cup.
"I have done the work. The crucial element is total belief that I can return to where I was. I will try all means to make it happen."
