Stefanos Tsitsipas Seriously Considered Retirement During Injury-Plagued 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 during the 2025 tennis year.
The 27-year-old, who has reached a career-high ranking of world number three, finished as runner-up to Novak Djokovic at both the 2021 French Open alongside the 2023 Australian Open.
Now ranked as the world's 36th best player after a limited schedule since his early exit in New York in August, he stated that ongoing treatment has begun yielding encouraging progress.
"My greatest anticipation lies in seeing how my training responds during regular practice concerning my back," commented Tsitsipas.
"My primary worry centered on if I could complete an encounter," he added, explaining the pain had troubled him "for the past six to eight months."
"I would wonder, 'Am I able to play another contest pain-free?'"
"I became truly frightened after the defeat at the US Open [to Germany's Daniel Altmaier]. I could not to move for 48 hours. That's when you begin to question the path ahead."
He also reported being content with his current recovery plan following the completion of an extended period of off-season preparation without any pain.
His next appearance for Greece in the United Cup, where they face Naomi Osaka's Japan and the British team led by Emma Raducanu. The tournament takes place in Perth and Sydney from 2 to 11 January, the week preceding the season's first major.
"The greatest victory for 2026 is to not have concerns about finishing matches," he stated.
"It provides fantastic feedback to know you had an off-season in good health – I wish for it to last. I aim to perform during the upcoming season and for the United Cup.
"The effort is invested. The crucial element is complete faith in my ability to get back to my previous level. I will attempt everything to achieve that."
