The Greek tennis star Seriously Considered Retirement During Injury-Plagued Campaign
Stefanos Tsitsipas was the 26th seed at last year's US Open
The tennis professional disclosed he thought about ending his career due to severe back issues during the season.
The 27-year-old, who has reached a career-high ranking of world number three, finished as runner-up to Novak Djokovic in the finals of the 2021 French Open and the 2023 Australian Open.
Now ranked as the world's 36th best player after a limited schedule post a second-round departure in New York this past summer, he stated continuous medical care has begun yielding positive results.
"I'm most excited lies in seeing how my body responds during actual training with regard to my back," said Tsitsipas.
"My primary worry centered on if I could complete a match," the athlete continued, noting the injury plagued him "for the past half a year or more."
"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 could not to move for two days. That is the moment begin to question your career's future."
Tsitsipas further mentioned satisfaction regarding the present treatment regimen after finishing five weeks of off-season preparation without any pain.
His next appearance for Greece in the United Cup, where they face Team Japan led by Osaka and the Great Britain squad captained by Raducanu. The tournament takes place in Perth and Sydney in early January, just before the season's first major.
"My main goal for 2026 is to not have concerns about finishing matches," he expressed.
"It is incredibly encouraging to know you completed a pre-season without pain – I wish for it to last. I want to deliver during the upcoming season and for the United Cup.
"The effort is invested. The most important thing is complete faith in my ability to get back to where I was. I will try all means to make it happen."
