Stefanos Tsitsipas Seriously Considered Retirement During Pain-Filled 2025 Season
The athlete entered the previous US Open as the 26th seed.
The tennis professional disclosed he pondered ending his career because of debilitating back issues throughout the 2025 tennis year.
The 27-year-old, who has reached a career-high ranking of world number three, was a finalist to Novak Djokovic in the finals of the 2021 French Open alongside the 2023 Australian Open.
Currently placed 36th in the world after a limited schedule post a early exit in New York this past summer, Tsitsipas indicated continuous medical care has begun yielding encouraging progress.
"My greatest anticipation lies in seeing how my training holds up under actual training concerning my back," said Tsitsipas.
"The biggest fear centered on if I could complete a match," he added, noting the injury had troubled him "for the past half a year or more."
"I would wonder, 'Am I able to play in another match without discomfort?'"
"It was genuinely scary following the loss at the US Open [to Germany's Daniel Altmaier]. I was unable to walk for 48 hours. That is the moment begin to question the path ahead."
Tsitsipas further mentioned being content with his current recovery plan after finishing five weeks of off-season preparation without any pain.
His next appearance with the Greek team in the United Cup, where they face Naomi Osaka's Japan and the Great Britain squad captained by Raducanu. The competition will be held across Australian cities in early January, just before the Australian Open.
"My main goal for 2026 is to stop worrying about finishing matches," he stated.
"It provides fantastic feedback to know you completed a pre-season without pain – I wish for it to last. I want to deliver in 2026 and at the team championship.
"I have done the work. The crucial element is complete faith that I can return to where I was. I will attempt everything to achieve that."
