Stefanos Tsitsipas Seriously Considered Retirement During Pain-Filled Campaign
Stefanos Tsitsipas was the 26th seed at last year's US Open
The tennis professional disclosed he pondered quitting the sport due to severe back issues during the season.
At 27 years old, the player once ranked as high as third globally, was a finalist against Novak Djokovic in the finals of the 2021 French Open alongside the 2023 Australian Open.
Now ranked 36th in the world after a limited schedule post a second-round departure at the US Open this past summer, he stated that ongoing treatment has begun yielding positive results.
"My greatest anticipation lies in seeing how my body holds up under regular practice with regard to my injury," said Tsitsipas.
"The biggest fear was whether I was able to finish a match," the athlete continued, noting the injury plagued him "for the past six to eight months."
"I would wonder, 'Can I compete 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 two days. That is the moment start reconsidering the path ahead."
He also reported satisfaction regarding his current recovery plan after finishing an extended period of pre-season training completely pain-free.
His next appearance for Greece at the team event, where they face Naomi Osaka's Japan and the Great Britain squad led by Emma Raducanu. The competition takes place across Australian cities in early January, the week preceding the season's first major.
"The greatest victory next season is to not have concerns about finishing matches," he stated.
"It provides fantastic feedback realizing you had a pre-season without pain – I hope it continues. I want to deliver in 2026 and at the team championship.
"I have done the work. The most important thing is complete faith in my ability to get back to where I was. I will attempt everything to make it happen."