Stefanos Tsitsipas Seriously Considered Walking Away During Injury-Plagued Campaign
The athlete entered the previous US Open as the 26th seed.
The tennis professional disclosed he thought about 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 as the world's 36th best player following minimal competition post a 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 training responds during regular practice concerning my back," commented Tsitsipas.
"The biggest fear was whether I could complete an encounter," the athlete continued, noting the injury had troubled him "over the last six to eight months."
"I kept asking, 'Am I able to play in another match without discomfort?'"
"I became truly frightened following the loss at the US Open [to Germany's Daniel Altmaier]. I was unable to move for 48 hours. That is the moment begin to question the path ahead."
He also reported satisfaction regarding his current recovery plan following the completion of an extended period of pre-season training completely pain-free.
He is scheduled to compete with the Greek team at the team event, where they face Team Japan led by Osaka and the British team captained by Raducanu. The tournament will be held across Australian cities from 2 to 11 January, the week preceding the Australian Open.
"My main goal for 2026 is to stop worrying about finishing matches," he stated.
"It provides fantastic feedback realizing you had a pre-season without pain – I wish for it to last. I aim to perform 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 where I was. I will try all means to make it happen."
