The Greek tennis star Seriously Considered Walking Away Amid Pain-Filled 2025 Season
The athlete entered the previous US Open as the 26th seed.
Stefanos Tsitsipas has revealed he pondered quitting the sport due to debilitating back issues during the season.
At 27 years old, the player once ranked as high as third globally, finished as runner-up to Novak Djokovic at both the 2021 French Open and the 2023 Australian Open.
Now ranked 36th in the world after a limited schedule since his second-round departure in New York in August, Tsitsipas indicated continuous medical care has begun yielding positive results.
"My greatest anticipation is to observe how my body responds during regular practice concerning my injury," commented Tsitsipas.
"The biggest fear centered on if I could complete a match," he added, noting the injury plagued him "for the past six to eight months."
"I would wonder, 'Am I able to play another contest pain-free?'"
"It was genuinely scary following the loss at the US Open [to Germany's Daniel Altmaier]. I was unable to move for two days. That is the moment start reconsidering your career's future."
He also reported being content with his current recovery plan following the completion of five weeks of pre-season training completely pain-free.
He is scheduled to compete for Greece in the United Cup, drawn against Team Japan led by Osaka and the British team led by Emma Raducanu. The competition will be held across Australian cities from 2 to 11 January, the week preceding the Australian Open.
"My main goal next season would be to not have concerns about finishing matches," he expressed.
"It provides fantastic feedback to know you completed a pre-season without pain – I wish for it to last. I aim to perform in 2026 and at the United Cup.
"The effort is invested. The crucial element is total belief that I can return to my previous level. I will attempt everything to achieve that."
