Stefanos Tsitsipas Seriously Considered Retirement During Injury-Plagued 2025 Season
Stefanos Tsitsipas was the 26th seed at last year's US Open
The tennis professional disclosed he pondered quitting the sport because of debilitating spinal pain during the 2025 tennis year.
At 27 years old, the player once ranked as high as third globally, was a finalist to 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 at the US Open in August, he stated continuous medical care is finally showing positive results.
"My greatest anticipation lies in seeing how my training holds up under regular practice with regard to my injury," said Tsitsipas.
"The biggest fear was whether I could complete an encounter," the athlete continued, noting the injury plagued him "for the past six to eight months."
"I would wonder, 'Can I compete in another match without discomfort?'"
"It was genuinely scary following the loss at the US Open [to Germany's Daniel Altmaier]. I was unable to walk for two days. That is the moment start reconsidering 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.
He is scheduled to compete for Greece in the United Cup, drawn against Naomi Osaka's Japan and the British team captained by Raducanu. The tournament will be held in Perth and Sydney from 2 to 11 January, just before the Australian Open.
"My main goal for 2026 is to not have concerns about finishing matches," he expressed.
"It provides fantastic feedback realizing you had a pre-season in good health – I wish for it to last. I aim to perform in 2026 and at the United Cup.
"The effort is invested. The crucial element is complete faith that I can return to where I was. I will try all means to achieve that."
