The Greek tennis star Contemplated Walking Away During Pain-Filled Campaign
Stefanos Tsitsipas was the 26th seed at last year's US Open
Stefanos Tsitsipas has revealed he pondered quitting the sport due to debilitating back issues throughout the 2025 tennis year.
At 27 years old, the player once ranked as high as third globally, was a finalist to Novak Djokovic in the finals of the 2021 French Open and the 2023 Australian Open.
Currently placed 36th in the world following minimal competition post a second-round departure in New York in August, he stated continuous medical care has begun yielding encouraging progress.
"I'm most excited lies in seeing how my training responds during regular practice concerning my injury," said Tsitsipas.
"The biggest fear centered on if I was able to finish an encounter," he added, explaining the pain plagued him "for the past six to eight months."
"I would wonder, 'Am I able to play another contest pain-free?'"
"I became truly frightened 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."
Tsitsipas further mentioned being content with his current recovery plan following the completion of five weeks of pre-season training completely pain-free.
He is scheduled to compete for Greece in the United Cup, 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, just before the Australian Open.
"The greatest victory for 2026 would be to stop worrying about finishing matches," he stated.
"It is incredibly encouraging realizing you had an off-season without pain – I wish for it to last. I want to deliver during the upcoming season and for the United Cup.
"The effort is invested. The most important thing is complete faith that I can return to my previous level. I will try all means to make it happen."
