The Greek tennis star Seriously Considered Retirement Amid Injury-Plagued Campaign
The athlete entered the previous US Open as the 26th seed.
Stefanos Tsitsipas has revealed he thought about quitting the sport due to debilitating spinal pain during the 2025 tennis year.
At 27 years old, the player once ranked as high as third globally, finished as runner-up to Novak Djokovic in the finals of the 2021 French Open and the 2023 Australian Open.
Now ranked 36th in the world following minimal competition post a second-round departure at the US Open in August, Tsitsipas indicated continuous medical care has begun yielding positive results.
"My greatest anticipation lies in seeing how my body responds during regular practice with regard to my injury," commented Tsitsipas.
"My primary worry centered on if I could complete a match," the athlete continued, noting the injury had troubled him "for the past six to eight months."
"I would wonder, 'Can I compete in another match pain-free?'"
"I became truly frightened following the loss in Flushing Meadows [to Germany's Daniel Altmaier]. I was unable to move for 48 hours. That's when you begin to question the path ahead."
Tsitsipas further mentioned being content with the present treatment regimen after finishing five weeks of pre-season training completely pain-free.
His next appearance with the Greek team at the team event, drawn against Naomi Osaka's Japan and the Great Britain squad led by Emma Raducanu. The competition takes place in Perth and Sydney from 2 to 11 January, the week preceding the Australian Open.
"The greatest victory next season is to not have concerns over completing bouts," he stated.
"It is incredibly encouraging realizing you had a pre-season without pain – I wish for it to last. I aim to perform during the upcoming season and for the team championship.
"I have done the work. The most important thing is total belief that I can return to my previous level. I will attempt everything to achieve that."
