The Greek tennis star Seriously Considered Retirement During Injury-Plagued Campaign
The athlete entered the previous US Open as the 26th seed.
Stefanos Tsitsipas has revealed he thought about ending his career due to severe back issues throughout 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.
Currently placed 36th in the world following minimal competition since his early exit at the US Open in August, Tsitsipas indicated that ongoing treatment has begun yielding encouraging progress.
"I'm most excited lies in seeing how my body holds up under regular practice concerning my injury," commented Tsitsipas.
"The biggest fear centered on if I could complete a match," he added, explaining the pain plagued him "for the past six to eight months."
"I kept asking, 'Can I compete another contest pain-free?'"
"It was genuinely scary after the defeat in Flushing Meadows [to Germany's Daniel Altmaier]. I was unable to walk for two days. That is the moment begin to question your career's future."
He also reported being content with the present treatment regimen after finishing five weeks of pre-season training without any pain.
His next appearance for Greece at the team event, drawn against Team Japan led by Osaka and the British team led by Emma Raducanu. The tournament takes place across Australian cities from 2 to 11 January, the week preceding the Australian Open.
"The greatest victory for 2026 would be to stop worrying about finishing matches," he stated.
"It is incredibly encouraging realizing you had a pre-season without pain – I hope it continues. I want to deliver in 2026 and at the United Cup.
"I have done the work. The crucial element is complete faith that I can return to where I was. I will try all means to make it happen."
