Stefanos Tsitsipas Seriously Considered Retirement During Pain-Filled Campaign
Stefanos Tsitsipas was the 26th seed at last year's US Open
The tennis professional disclosed he thought about quitting the sport due to debilitating back issues throughout the season.
The 27-year-old, who has reached a career-high ranking of world number three, was a finalist to Novak Djokovic at both the 2021 French Open alongside the 2023 Australian Open.
Now ranked 36th in the world following minimal competition since his second-round departure in New York this past summer, he stated 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 injury," commented Tsitsipas.
"My primary worry was whether I was able to finish a match," he added, noting the injury plagued him "over the last half a year or more."
"I kept asking, 'Can I compete in another match pain-free?'"
"I became truly frightened after the defeat at the US Open [to Germany's Daniel Altmaier]. I was unable to walk for 48 hours. That's when you begin to question the path ahead."
Tsitsipas further mentioned satisfaction regarding the present treatment regimen following the completion of an extended period of off-season preparation without any pain.
He is scheduled to compete for Greece in the United Cup, drawn against Naomi Osaka's Japan and the British team captained by Raducanu. The competition will be held across Australian cities in early January, the week preceding the Australian Open.
"My main goal for 2026 is to stop worrying over completing bouts," he stated.
"It provides fantastic feedback realizing you had an off-season in good health – I hope it continues. I aim to perform during the upcoming season and for the team championship.
"The effort is invested. The most important thing is total belief that I can return to my previous level. I will attempt everything to achieve that."
