The Greek tennis star Seriously Considered Walking Away Amid Injury-Plagued Campaign
The athlete entered the previous US Open as the 26th seed.
Stefanos Tsitsipas has revealed he pondered quitting the sport due to debilitating back issues throughout the 2025 tennis year.
The 27-year-old, who has reached a career-high ranking of world number three, was a finalist against Novak Djokovic at both the 2021 French Open and the 2023 Australian Open.
Now ranked as the world's 36th best player following minimal competition since his early exit in New York in August, Tsitsipas indicated continuous medical care is finally showing encouraging progress.
"My greatest anticipation is to observe how my training responds during regular practice with regard to my injury," said Tsitsipas.
"My primary worry 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 without discomfort?'"
"I became truly frightened after the defeat in Flushing Meadows [to Germany's Daniel Altmaier]. I was unable to walk for two days. That's when you begin to question your career's future."
He also reported being content with his current recovery plan after finishing an extended period of off-season preparation completely pain-free.
His next appearance for Greece in the United Cup, where they face Team Japan led by Osaka and the British team led by Emma Raducanu. The tournament will be held across Australian cities in early January, the week preceding the season's first major.
"The greatest victory for 2026 is to stop worrying over completing bouts," he stated.
"It provides fantastic feedback realizing you completed an off-season without pain – I wish for it to last. I want to deliver during the upcoming season and for the United Cup.
"I have done the work. The crucial element is total belief that I can return to where I was. I will attempt everything to make it happen."
