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 thought about ending his career because of debilitating back issues throughout the season.
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.
Currently placed as the world's 36th best player after a limited schedule since his second-round departure at the US Open this past summer, he stated that ongoing treatment has begun yielding encouraging progress.
"My greatest anticipation lies in seeing how my training responds during regular practice with regard to my injury," said Tsitsipas.
"The biggest fear centered on if I could complete a match," the athlete continued, explaining the pain plagued him "for the past half a year or more."
"I kept asking, 'Am I able to play another contest without discomfort?'"
"I became truly frightened after the defeat at the US Open [to Germany's Daniel Altmaier]. I could not 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 off-season preparation completely pain-free.
His next appearance with the Greek team at the team event, drawn against Team Japan led by Osaka and the British team led by Emma Raducanu. The tournament will be held across Australian cities from 2 to 11 January, just before the season's first major.
"The greatest victory for 2026 is to stop worrying over completing bouts," he expressed.
"It is incredibly encouraging to know you completed a pre-season without pain – I wish for it to last. I aim to perform in 2026 and at the team championship.
"The effort is invested. The crucial element is total belief that I can return to my previous level. I will try all means to make it happen."
