The Greek tennis star Seriously Considered Retirement During Injury-Plagued Campaign
Stefanos Tsitsipas was the 26th seed at last year's US Open
Stefanos Tsitsipas has revealed he thought about ending his career because of debilitating back issues during the season.
The 27-year-old, who has reached a career-high ranking of world number three, finished as runner-up against Novak Djokovic in the finals of the 2021 French Open and the 2023 Australian Open.
Now ranked 36th in the world after a limited schedule post a second-round departure in New York this past summer, he stated continuous medical care is finally showing positive results.
"My greatest anticipation lies in seeing how my body holds up under actual training with regard to my back," said Tsitsipas.
"The biggest fear centered on if I was able to finish an encounter," the athlete continued, noting the injury plagued him "for the past half a year or more."
"I kept asking, 'Can I compete another contest without discomfort?'"
"It was genuinely scary after the defeat in Flushing Meadows [to Germany's Daniel Altmaier]. I could not to walk for two days. That is the moment start reconsidering your career's future."
He also reported satisfaction regarding his current recovery plan following the completion of five weeks of pre-season training completely pain-free.
His next appearance with the Greek team in the United Cup, where they face Naomi Osaka's Japan and the British team captained by Raducanu. The competition will be held in Perth and Sydney in early January, the week preceding the season's first major.
"My main goal next season is to not have concerns about finishing matches," he stated.
"It is incredibly encouraging realizing you completed a pre-season in good health – I wish for it to last. I want to deliver in 2026 and at the team championship.
"The effort is invested. The crucial element is complete faith that I can return to where I was. I will attempt everything to make it happen."
