The Greek tennis star Seriously Considered Retirement During Injury-Plagued 2025 Season
The athlete entered the previous US Open as the 26th seed.
Stefanos Tsitsipas has revealed he pondered quitting the sport because of debilitating back issues throughout the 2025 tennis year.
At 27 years old, the player once ranked as high as third globally, finished as runner-up against Novak Djokovic in the finals of the 2021 French Open and the 2023 Australian Open.
Now ranked as the world's 36th best player after a limited schedule since his second-round departure at the US Open this past summer, Tsitsipas indicated that ongoing treatment is finally showing encouraging progress.
"My greatest anticipation lies in seeing how my training holds up under regular practice concerning my injury," said Tsitsipas.
"My primary worry centered on if I was able to finish an encounter," the athlete continued, explaining the pain plagued him "for the past six to eight months."
"I would wonder, 'Can I compete in another match pain-free?'"
"It was genuinely scary following the loss in Flushing Meadows [to Germany's Daniel Altmaier]. I could not to move for 48 hours. That's when you start reconsidering the path ahead."
He also reported satisfaction regarding his current recovery plan after finishing five weeks of off-season preparation without any pain.
His next appearance for Greece at the team event, where they face Naomi Osaka's Japan and the British team captained by Raducanu. The competition will be held in Perth and Sydney from 2 to 11 January, just before the season's first major.
"My main goal for 2026 is to not have concerns about finishing matches," he stated.
"It provides fantastic feedback realizing you completed a pre-season in good health – I hope it continues. I want to deliver during the upcoming season and for the team championship.
"I have done the work. The crucial element is total belief in my ability to get back to my previous level. I will attempt everything to make it happen."
