The Greek tennis star Contemplated Walking Away Amid Pain-Filled 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 spinal pain 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 after a limited schedule since his second-round departure in New York in August, he stated that ongoing treatment has begun yielding positive results.
"I'm most excited is to observe 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, explaining the pain had troubled him "for the past six to eight months."
"I would wonder, 'Am I able to play in another match without discomfort?'"
"I became truly frightened following the loss in Flushing Meadows [to Germany's Daniel Altmaier]. I could not to walk for two days. That's when you start reconsidering your career's future."
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 with the Greek team in the United Cup, drawn against Naomi Osaka's Japan and the Great Britain squad led by Emma Raducanu. The competition will be held across Australian cities from 2 to 11 January, the week preceding the Australian Open.
"My main goal for 2026 would be to stop worrying over completing bouts," he stated.
"It provides fantastic feedback realizing you completed a pre-season without pain – I hope it continues. I want to deliver in 2026 and at the United Cup.
"The effort is invested. The crucial element is complete faith that I can return to where I was. I will try all means to make it happen."
