Stefanos Tsitsipas Contemplated Retirement Amid Pain-Filled Campaign
Stefanos Tsitsipas was the 26th seed at last year's US Open
The tennis professional disclosed he pondered quitting the sport because of debilitating back issues throughout the season.
The 27-year-old, who has reached a career-high ranking of world number three, finished as runner-up against Novak Djokovic at both the 2021 French Open alongside the 2023 Australian Open.
Currently placed as the world's 36th best player following minimal competition post a early exit in New York in August, Tsitsipas indicated continuous medical care is finally showing encouraging progress.
"I'm most excited lies in seeing how my body responds during regular practice with regard to my back," commented Tsitsipas.
"The biggest fear was whether I was able to finish an encounter," the athlete continued, noting the injury plagued him "for the past half a year or more."
"I would wonder, 'Can I compete in another match without discomfort?'"
"It was genuinely scary after the defeat in Flushing Meadows [to Germany's Daniel Altmaier]. I could not to move for 48 hours. That's when you begin to question your career's future."
Tsitsipas further mentioned being content with his current recovery plan after finishing an extended period of pre-season training completely pain-free.
He is scheduled to compete for Greece at the team event, where they face Naomi Osaka's Japan and the Great Britain squad captained by Raducanu. The competition will be held in Perth and Sydney in early January, just before the season's first major.
"My main goal for 2026 would be to not have concerns about finishing matches," he expressed.
"It provides fantastic feedback realizing you had a pre-season without pain – I hope it continues. I aim to perform in 2026 and at the team championship.
"The effort is invested. The crucial element is complete faith in my ability to get back to where I was. I will attempt everything to achieve that."
