The Greek tennis star Contemplated Walking Away Amid Pain-Filled Campaign
Stefanos Tsitsipas was the 26th seed at last year's US Open
Stefanos Tsitsipas has revealed he pondered quitting the sport because of severe back issues throughout the season.
The 27-year-old, who has reached a career-high ranking of world number three, was a finalist against Novak Djokovic at both the 2021 French Open and the 2023 Australian Open.
Now ranked 36th in the world following minimal competition post a second-round departure in New York this past summer, Tsitsipas indicated continuous medical care has begun yielding positive results.
"I'm most excited is to observe how my body holds up under actual training with regard to my back," said Tsitsipas.
"My primary worry centered on if I could complete a match," the athlete continued, explaining the pain had troubled him "over the last half a year or more."
"I kept asking, 'Can I compete another contest pain-free?'"
"I became truly frightened after the defeat in Flushing Meadows [to Germany's Daniel Altmaier]. I was unable to walk for 48 hours. That is the moment start reconsidering the path ahead."
Tsitsipas further mentioned being content with the present treatment regimen following the completion of five weeks of pre-season training without any pain.
His next appearance with the Greek team in the United Cup, where they face Team Japan led by Osaka and the Great Britain squad led by Emma Raducanu. The tournament will be held in Perth and Sydney in early January, just before the season's first major.
"The greatest victory for 2026 is to not have concerns over completing bouts," he stated.
"It is incredibly encouraging realizing you had an off-season without pain – I hope it continues. I aim to perform during the upcoming season and for the United Cup.
"The effort is invested. The crucial element is total belief in my ability to get back to my previous level. I will try all means to make it happen."
