The Greek tennis star Contemplated Walking Away Amid Injury-Plagued 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 during the 2025 tennis year.
The 27-year-old, who has reached a career-high ranking of world number three, finished as runner-up to Novak Djokovic at both 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 in August, he stated that ongoing treatment is finally showing positive results.
"I'm most excited lies in seeing how my training holds up under regular practice with regard to my injury," said Tsitsipas.
"The biggest fear centered on if I was able to finish an encounter," he added, explaining the pain had troubled him "for the past half a year or more."
"I would wonder, 'Can I compete in another match without discomfort?'"
"I became truly frightened after the defeat at the US Open [to Germany's Daniel Altmaier]. I could not to move for two days. That is the moment start reconsidering the path ahead."
He also reported being content with his current recovery plan following the completion of an extended period of pre-season training completely pain-free.
He is scheduled to compete for Greece in the United Cup, drawn against Naomi Osaka's Japan and the Great Britain squad led by Emma Raducanu. The tournament takes place in Perth and Sydney from 2 to 11 January, the week preceding the season's first major.
"My main goal for 2026 is to stop worrying about finishing matches," he stated.
"It is incredibly encouraging to know you had an off-season without pain – I hope it continues. I want to deliver during the upcoming season and for the United Cup.
"The effort is invested. The most important thing is complete faith in my ability to get back to where I was. I will attempt everything to make it happen."
