The Greek tennis star Contemplated Retirement During Injury-Plagued Campaign
The athlete entered the previous US Open as the 26th seed.
Stefanos Tsitsipas has revealed he thought about ending his career due to debilitating spinal pain throughout the season.
The 27-year-old, who has reached a career-high ranking of world number three, finished as runner-up to Novak Djokovic in the finals of the 2021 French Open and the 2023 Australian Open.
Currently placed 36th in the world after a limited schedule post a second-round departure at the US Open in August, Tsitsipas indicated continuous medical care has begun yielding encouraging progress.
"My greatest anticipation is to observe how my training holds up under regular practice with regard to my back," commented Tsitsipas.
"The biggest fear centered on if I was able to finish a match," he added, explaining the pain plagued him "for the past six to eight months."
"I kept asking, 'Can I compete in another match pain-free?'"
"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 the path ahead."
He also reported satisfaction regarding the present treatment regimen following the completion of five weeks of pre-season training completely pain-free.
He is scheduled to compete for Greece in the United Cup, drawn against Team Japan led by Osaka and the Great Britain squad led by Emma Raducanu. The competition takes place across Australian cities in early January, just before the season's first major.
"My main goal next season would be to stop worrying about finishing matches," he stated.
"It is incredibly encouraging to know you completed an off-season without pain – I wish for it to last. I want to deliver in 2026 and at the United Cup.
"I have done the work. The most important thing is complete faith in my ability to get back to my previous level. I will try all means to make it happen."
