Stefanos Tsitsipas Seriously Considered Walking Away Amid Pain-Filled Campaign
The athlete entered the previous US Open as the 26th seed.
The tennis professional disclosed he pondered quitting the sport because of debilitating spinal pain during the 2025 tennis year.
At 27 years old, the player once ranked as high as third globally, was a finalist against Novak Djokovic in the finals of the 2021 French Open and the 2023 Australian Open.
Now ranked 36th in the world following minimal competition since his early exit at the US Open this past summer, he stated continuous medical care has begun yielding encouraging progress.
"I'm most excited lies in seeing how my body holds up under regular practice with regard to my back," commented Tsitsipas.
"The biggest fear centered on if I was able to finish an encounter," the athlete continued, explaining the pain plagued him "for the past six to eight months."
"I kept asking, 'Am I able to play another contest without discomfort?'"
"I became truly frightened after the defeat at the US Open [to Germany's Daniel Altmaier]. I could not to walk for 48 hours. That is the moment begin to question the path ahead."
He also reported being content with the present treatment regimen after finishing an extended period of pre-season training completely pain-free.
His next appearance for Greece at the team event, where they face Team Japan led by Osaka and the Great Britain squad led by Emma Raducanu. The competition takes place in Perth and Sydney in early January, just before the Australian Open.
"The greatest victory for 2026 would be to stop worrying about finishing matches," he expressed.
"It provides fantastic feedback to know you completed a pre-season without pain – I hope it continues. I aim to perform in 2026 and at the team championship.
"I have done the work. The crucial element is total belief that I can return to my previous level. I will try all means to achieve that."