Stefanos Tsitsipas Contemplated Walking Away Amid Injury-Plagued Campaign
Stefanos Tsitsipas was the 26th seed at last year's US Open
The tennis professional disclosed he pondered quitting the sport because of severe 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 at both the 2021 French Open and the 2023 Australian Open.
Now ranked 36th in the world after a limited schedule since his early exit in New York in August, Tsitsipas indicated continuous medical care has begun yielding encouraging progress.
"My greatest anticipation lies in seeing how my body responds during regular practice concerning my back," said Tsitsipas.
"My primary worry centered on if I was able to finish a match," he added, noting the injury had troubled him "for the past six to eight months."
"I kept asking, 'Can I compete in another match without discomfort?'"
"It was genuinely scary following the loss in Flushing Meadows [to Germany's Daniel Altmaier]. I was unable to walk for 48 hours. That is the moment start reconsidering your career's future."
Tsitsipas further mentioned being content with his current recovery plan after finishing an extended period of pre-season training completely pain-free.
His next appearance with the Greek team at the team event, where they face Naomi Osaka's Japan and the Great Britain squad led by Emma Raducanu. The tournament will be held across Australian cities in early January, the week preceding the Australian Open.
"My main goal next season is to stop worrying over completing bouts," he stated.
"It is incredibly encouraging realizing you completed an off-season in good health – I wish for it to last. I aim to perform in 2026 and at the team championship.
"The effort is invested. The most important thing is total belief that I can return to where I was. I will attempt everything to make it happen."
