The Greek tennis star Seriously Considered Retirement During Injury-Plagued 2025 Season
Stefanos Tsitsipas was the 26th seed at last year's US Open
The tennis professional disclosed he thought about quitting the sport because of severe spinal pain throughout the season.
The 27-year-old, who has reached a career-high ranking of world number three, finished as runner-up to Novak Djokovic in the finals of the 2021 French Open alongside the 2023 Australian Open.
Now ranked as the world's 36th best player following minimal competition since his second-round departure in New York in August, he stated continuous medical care has begun yielding encouraging progress.
"I'm most excited is to observe how my training holds up under actual training with regard to my injury," commented Tsitsipas.
"The biggest fear centered on if I was able to finish a match," he added, noting the injury plagued him "over the last half a year or more."
"I kept asking, 'Can I compete another contest without discomfort?'"
"I became truly frightened after the defeat at the US Open [to Germany's Daniel Altmaier]. I was unable to walk for 48 hours. That is the moment start reconsidering your career's future."
Tsitsipas further mentioned being content with the present treatment regimen following the completion of an extended period of off-season preparation completely pain-free.
His next appearance for Greece in the United Cup, drawn against Team Japan led by Osaka and the Great Britain squad captained by Raducanu. The competition will be held in Perth and Sydney in early January, the week preceding the season's first major.
"My main goal for 2026 is to stop worrying about finishing matches," he expressed.
"It is incredibly encouraging to know you completed a pre-season in good health – I hope it continues. I aim to perform in 2026 and at the team championship.
"I have done the work. The most important thing is total belief that I can return to where I was. I will attempt everything to make it happen."
