The Greek tennis star Seriously Considered Walking Away Amid Injury-Plagued Campaign
Stefanos Tsitsipas was the 26th seed at last year's US Open
The tennis professional disclosed he thought about quitting the sport because of severe back issues during the season.
The 27-year-old, who has reached a career-high ranking of world number three, finished as runner-up to Novak Djokovic at both the 2021 French Open alongside the 2023 Australian Open.
Currently placed as the world's 36th best player after a limited schedule since his early exit at the US Open this past summer, he stated continuous medical care is finally showing positive results.
"I'm most excited is to observe how my training holds up under actual training with regard to my injury," said Tsitsipas.
"The biggest fear was whether I was able to finish an encounter," he added, explaining the pain had troubled him "for the past six to eight months."
"I would wonder, 'Can I compete another contest pain-free?'"
"I became truly frightened after the defeat in Flushing Meadows [to Germany's Daniel Altmaier]. I could not to move for 48 hours. That's when you start reconsidering your career's future."
Tsitsipas further mentioned satisfaction regarding the present treatment regimen after finishing five weeks of off-season preparation without any pain.
His next appearance with the Greek team in the United Cup, where they face Team Japan led by Osaka 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 next season would be to stop worrying over completing bouts," he expressed.
"It provides fantastic feedback realizing you had 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 my previous level. I will attempt everything to achieve that."
