The Greek tennis star Seriously Considered Retirement During Pain-Filled Campaign
The athlete entered the previous US Open as the 26th seed.
The tennis professional disclosed he thought about ending his career because of debilitating back issues during the 2025 tennis year.
At 27 years old, the player once ranked as high as third globally, was a finalist against Novak Djokovic at both the 2021 French Open alongside the 2023 Australian Open.
Currently placed as the world's 36th best player after a limited schedule post a early exit at the US Open this past summer, he stated continuous medical care is finally showing encouraging progress.
"I'm most excited is to observe how my body holds up under regular practice concerning my injury," commented Tsitsipas.
"My primary worry centered on if I could complete a match," the athlete continued, noting the injury plagued him "for the past half a year or more."
"I would wonder, 'Am I able to play another contest without discomfort?'"
"It was genuinely scary after the defeat in Flushing Meadows [to Germany's Daniel Altmaier]. I was unable to walk for 48 hours. That's when you start reconsidering your career's future."
He also reported satisfaction regarding his current recovery plan following the completion of five weeks of off-season preparation without any pain.
His next appearance with the Greek team at the team event, where they face Naomi Osaka's Japan and the Great Britain squad captained by Raducanu. The tournament will be held across Australian cities in early January, the week preceding the Australian Open.
"My main goal next season would be to stop worrying about finishing matches," he expressed.
"It provides fantastic feedback to know you completed a pre-season in good health – I wish for it to last. I want to deliver during the upcoming season and for the United Cup.
"The effort is invested. The most important thing is complete faith that I can return to where I was. I will attempt everything to achieve that."
