The Greek tennis star Contemplated Walking Away During Injury-Plagued Campaign
The athlete entered the previous US Open as the 26th seed.
The tennis professional disclosed he thought about ending his career due to severe spinal pain during the 2025 tennis year.
At 27 years old, the player once ranked as high as third globally, finished as runner-up to Novak Djokovic in the finals of the 2021 French Open and the 2023 Australian Open.
Currently placed as the world's 36th best player following minimal competition since his early exit in New York this past summer, he stated that ongoing treatment is finally showing positive results.
"My greatest anticipation lies in seeing how my body holds up under actual training concerning my injury," commented Tsitsipas.
"The biggest fear was whether I could complete a match," he added, explaining the pain had troubled him "for the past half a year or more."
"I would wonder, 'Am I able to play in another match pain-free?'"
"It was genuinely scary following the loss at the US Open [to Germany's Daniel Altmaier]. I was unable to move for two days. That's when you begin to question your career's future."
He also reported satisfaction regarding his current recovery plan following the completion of an extended period of pre-season training completely pain-free.
He is scheduled to compete with the Greek team in the United Cup, drawn against Naomi Osaka's Japan and the Great Britain squad captained by Raducanu. The tournament takes place in Perth and Sydney in early January, just before the Australian Open.
"The greatest victory next season would be to not have concerns about finishing matches," he expressed.
"It provides fantastic feedback realizing you had a pre-season without pain – I wish for it to last. I aim to perform in 2026 and at the United Cup.
"The effort is invested. The most important thing is total belief that I can return to where I was. I will try all means to make it happen."
