The Greek tennis star Seriously Considered Walking Away During Injury-Plagued Campaign
The athlete entered the previous US Open as the 26th seed.
The tennis professional disclosed he pondered ending his career due to severe spinal pain throughout the 2025 tennis year.
The 27-year-old, who has reached a career-high ranking of world number three, finished as runner-up against Novak Djokovic at both the 2021 French Open and the 2023 Australian Open.
Now ranked as the world's 36th best player after a limited schedule since his early exit in New York in August, he stated continuous medical care has begun yielding positive results.
"I'm most excited lies in seeing how my training holds up under regular practice concerning my back," commented Tsitsipas.
"The biggest fear was whether I could complete a match," he added, noting the injury had troubled him "over the last six to eight months."
"I would wonder, 'Can I compete in another match pain-free?'"
"It was genuinely scary after the defeat at the US Open [to Germany's Daniel Altmaier]. I could not to walk for two days. That's when you begin to question your career's future."
Tsitsipas further mentioned satisfaction regarding 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, drawn against Team Japan led by Osaka and the British team led by Emma Raducanu. The competition takes place in Perth and Sydney from 2 to 11 January, just before the season's first major.
"The greatest victory next season is to not have concerns about finishing matches," he stated.
"It provides fantastic feedback to know you had an off-season without pain – I wish for it to last. I want to deliver in 2026 and at the team championship.
"The effort is invested. The most important thing is total belief that I can return to where I was. I will attempt everything to achieve that."
