Stefanos Tsitsipas Contemplated Retirement During Pain-Filled Campaign
The athlete entered the previous US Open as the 26th seed.
Stefanos Tsitsipas has revealed he pondered quitting the sport because of debilitating 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 at both the 2021 French Open alongside the 2023 Australian Open.
Now ranked 36th in the world after a limited schedule since his early exit at the US Open this past summer, Tsitsipas indicated that ongoing treatment has begun yielding positive results.
"My greatest anticipation lies in seeing how my training holds up under regular practice with regard to my injury," commented Tsitsipas.
"My primary worry was whether I could complete an encounter," he added, noting the injury plagued him "over the last six to eight months."
"I kept asking, 'Am I able to play in another match without discomfort?'"
"It was genuinely scary after the defeat at the US Open [to Germany's Daniel Altmaier]. I could not to move for two days. That is the moment start reconsidering your career's future."
Tsitsipas further mentioned satisfaction regarding the present treatment regimen following the completion of an extended period of pre-season training without any pain.
He is scheduled to compete with the Greek team at the team event, where they face 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, just before the season's first major.
"My main goal for 2026 is to stop worrying over completing bouts," he expressed.
"It is incredibly encouraging to know you had a pre-season without pain – I wish for it to last. I want to deliver in 2026 and at the team championship.
"The effort is invested. The crucial element is total belief in my ability to get back to my previous level. I will attempt everything to achieve that."
