Stefanos Tsitsipas Contemplated Walking Away During Pain-Filled Campaign
The athlete entered the previous US Open as the 26th seed.
Stefanos Tsitsipas has revealed he thought about ending his career due to debilitating back issues during the 2025 tennis year.
The 27-year-old, who has reached a career-high ranking of world number three, was a finalist against Novak Djokovic in the finals of the 2021 French Open and the 2023 Australian Open.
Now ranked 36th in the world after a limited schedule post a early exit at the US Open this past summer, he stated continuous medical care has begun yielding encouraging progress.
"My greatest anticipation is to observe how my training responds during regular practice with regard to my back," said Tsitsipas.
"My primary worry was whether I could complete a match," the athlete continued, noting the injury plagued him "for the past six to eight months."
"I kept asking, 'Am I able to play another contest pain-free?'"
"I became truly frightened after the defeat in Flushing Meadows [to Germany's Daniel Altmaier]. I was unable to move for 48 hours. That's when you begin to question the path ahead."
Tsitsipas further mentioned satisfaction regarding his current recovery plan after finishing an extended period of pre-season training without any pain.
His next appearance with the Greek team at the team event, drawn against Naomi Osaka's Japan and the British team captained by Raducanu. The tournament takes place in Perth and Sydney from 2 to 11 January, the week preceding the Australian Open.
"My main goal for 2026 is to not have concerns about finishing matches," he expressed.
"It is incredibly encouraging to know you had an off-season in good health – I hope it continues. I want to deliver during the upcoming season and for the team championship.
"The effort is invested. The most important thing is total belief in my ability to get back to where I was. I will attempt everything to achieve that."
