The Greek tennis star Seriously Considered Walking Away During Injury-Plagued Campaign
Stefanos Tsitsipas was the 26th seed at last year's US Open
The tennis professional disclosed he pondered ending his career because of severe 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 in the finals of the 2021 French Open alongside the 2023 Australian Open.
Now ranked 36th in the world after a limited schedule since his early exit in New York in August, he stated that ongoing treatment is finally showing positive results.
"My greatest anticipation is to observe how my training responds during regular practice with regard to my back," said Tsitsipas.
"My primary worry centered on if I could complete an encounter," the athlete continued, explaining the pain had troubled him "over the last half a year or more."
"I kept asking, 'Can I compete in another match pain-free?'"
"It was genuinely scary after the defeat in Flushing Meadows [to Germany's Daniel Altmaier]. I could not to walk for 48 hours. That is the moment begin to question the path ahead."
Tsitsipas further mentioned satisfaction regarding the present treatment regimen after finishing an extended period of off-season preparation completely pain-free.
His next appearance with the Greek team in the United Cup, drawn against Naomi Osaka's Japan and the British team captained by Raducanu. The tournament takes place in Perth and Sydney from 2 to 11 January, the week preceding the season's first major.
"My main goal for 2026 is to stop worrying over completing bouts," he stated.
"It is incredibly encouraging to know you completed a pre-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 complete faith in my ability to get back to where I was. I will try all means to make it happen."