The Greek tennis star Seriously Considered Walking Away During Injury-Plagued Campaign
Stefanos Tsitsipas was the 26th seed at last year's US Open
Stefanos Tsitsipas has revealed he pondered quitting the sport because of severe spinal pain during the season.
At 27 years old, the player once ranked as high as third globally, was a finalist to Novak Djokovic at both the 2021 French Open alongside the 2023 Australian Open.
Now ranked 36th in the world following minimal competition post a second-round departure 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 body holds up under actual training with regard to my back," said Tsitsipas.
"The biggest fear centered on if I was able to finish an encounter," he added, explaining the pain plagued him "over the last six to eight months."
"I would wonder, 'Can I compete in another match pain-free?'"
"It was genuinely scary after the defeat in Flushing Meadows [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 his current recovery plan following the completion of five weeks of off-season preparation completely pain-free.
His next appearance for Greece 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 in early January, just before the season's first major.
"My main goal for 2026 is to not have concerns over completing bouts," he expressed.
"It provides fantastic feedback realizing you completed an off-season in good health – 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 in my ability to get back to where I was. I will attempt everything to make it happen."
