Stefanos Tsitsipas Contemplated Retirement Amid Injury-Plagued Campaign
The athlete entered the previous US Open as the 26th seed.
Stefanos Tsitsipas has revealed he pondered ending his career due to severe back issues during 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 alongside the 2023 Australian Open.
Currently placed 36th in the world following minimal competition since his second-round departure at the US Open in August, he stated that ongoing treatment has begun yielding positive results.
"I'm most excited lies in seeing how my body holds up under regular practice concerning my injury," said Tsitsipas.
"The biggest fear was whether I could complete a match," he added, explaining the pain had troubled him "over the last half a year or more."
"I kept asking, 'Am I able to play another contest without discomfort?'"
"It was genuinely scary following the loss at the US Open [to Germany's Daniel Altmaier]. I was unable to walk for two days. That's when you begin to question the path ahead."
He also reported being content with the present treatment regimen after finishing an extended period of off-season preparation without any pain.
He is scheduled to compete with the Greek team at the team event, where they face Naomi Osaka's Japan and the Great Britain squad led by Emma Raducanu. The tournament takes place across Australian cities from 2 to 11 January, the week preceding the Australian Open.
"The greatest victory next season would be to stop worrying about finishing matches," he expressed.
"It is incredibly encouraging to know you had an off-season in good health – I wish for it to last. I aim to perform in 2026 and at the United Cup.
"The effort is invested. The crucial element is complete faith in my ability to get back to my previous level. I will attempt everything to achieve that."
