Stefanos Tsitsipas Contemplated Walking Away During Pain-Filled Campaign
The athlete entered the previous US Open as the 26th seed.
Stefanos Tsitsipas has revealed he pondered ending his career due to debilitating spinal pain throughout the 2025 tennis year.
At 27 years old, the player once ranked as high as third globally, finished as runner-up against Novak Djokovic at both the 2021 French Open alongside the 2023 Australian Open.
Now ranked as the world's 36th best player following minimal competition post a early exit in New York this past summer, Tsitsipas indicated continuous medical care has begun yielding positive results.
"My greatest anticipation lies in seeing how my body responds during 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 "over the last six to eight months."
"I kept asking, 'Am I able to play in another match pain-free?'"
"I became truly frightened after the defeat in Flushing Meadows [to Germany's Daniel Altmaier]. I was unable to move for two days. That's when you start reconsidering the path ahead."
He also reported being content with his current recovery plan after finishing an extended period of pre-season training without any pain.
He is scheduled to compete with the Greek team at the team event, where they face Naomi Osaka's Japan and the British team led by Emma Raducanu. The tournament takes place across Australian cities in early January, just before the season's first major.
"The greatest victory for 2026 is to not have concerns about finishing matches," he stated.
"It is incredibly encouraging realizing you completed an off-season in good health – I wish for it to last. I want to deliver in 2026 and at the United Cup.
"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."
