Stefanos Tsitsipas was the 26th seed at last year's US Open
Stefanos Tsitsipas has revealed he thought about ending his career due to debilitating back issues throughout the season.
At 27 years old, the player once ranked as high as third globally, was a finalist to Novak Djokovic in the finals of the 2021 French Open alongside the 2023 Australian Open.
Now ranked as the world's 36th best player after a limited schedule since his early exit at the US Open this past summer, Tsitsipas indicated that ongoing treatment is finally showing positive results.
"My greatest anticipation lies in seeing how my body responds during actual training concerning my back," said Tsitsipas.
"My primary worry was whether I could complete a match," the athlete continued, noting the injury had troubled him "over the last six to eight months."
"I would wonder, 'Am I able to play another contest pain-free?'"
"It was genuinely scary after the defeat in Flushing Meadows [to Germany's Daniel Altmaier]. I was unable to move for two days. That's when you begin to question your career's future."
Tsitsipas further mentioned satisfaction regarding the present treatment regimen following the completion of five weeks of pre-season training completely pain-free.
His next appearance with the Greek team in the United Cup, drawn against Naomi Osaka's Japan and the Great Britain squad captained by Raducanu. The competition will be held in Perth and Sydney from 2 to 11 January, the week preceding the season's first major.
"The greatest victory for 2026 would be to stop worrying about finishing matches," he expressed.
"It provides fantastic feedback realizing you completed a pre-season without pain – I wish for it to last. I want to deliver during the upcoming season and for the United Cup.
"The effort is invested. The crucial element is complete faith in my ability to get back to my previous level. I will try all means to achieve that."
