Stefanos Tsitsipas Contemplated Walking Away During Pain-Filled Campaign
Stefanos Tsitsipas was the 26th seed at last year's US Open
The tennis professional disclosed he pondered ending his career due to severe back issues 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.
Currently placed 36th in the world following minimal competition since his early exit at the US Open in August, he stated continuous medical care is finally showing encouraging progress.
"I'm most excited lies in seeing how my training responds during actual training concerning my injury," said Tsitsipas.
"My primary worry centered on if I could complete a match," he added, explaining the pain plagued him "over the last half a year or more."
"I would wonder, 'Am I able to play another contest pain-free?'"
"It was genuinely scary following the loss in Flushing Meadows [to Germany's Daniel Altmaier]. I was unable to walk for 48 hours. That is the moment start reconsidering your career's future."
He also reported being content with his current recovery plan following the completion of five weeks of pre-season training completely pain-free.
He is scheduled to compete for Greece at the team event, drawn against Naomi Osaka's Japan and the Great Britain squad captained by Raducanu. The competition will be held across Australian cities from 2 to 11 January, just before the Australian Open.
"The greatest victory for 2026 would be to stop worrying over completing bouts," he stated.
"It is incredibly encouraging to know you completed a pre-season in good health – I hope it continues. I want to deliver in 2026 and at the United Cup.
"The effort is invested. The crucial element is total belief that I can return to my previous level. I will try all means to achieve that."
