The Greek tennis star Seriously Considered Walking Away During Pain-Filled 2025 Season
The athlete entered the previous US Open as the 26th seed.
Stefanos Tsitsipas has revealed he pondered ending his career due to debilitating back issues throughout the 2025 tennis year.
At 27 years old, the player once ranked as high as third globally, was a finalist to Novak Djokovic in the finals of the 2021 French Open and the 2023 Australian Open.
Now ranked as the world's 36th best player following minimal competition post a second-round departure at the US Open this past summer, he stated continuous medical care has begun yielding positive results.
"My greatest anticipation is to observe how my body responds during regular practice concerning my injury," commented Tsitsipas.
"My primary worry was whether I could complete an encounter," he added, explaining the pain plagued him "for the past six to eight months."
"I would wonder, 'Am I able to play in another match without discomfort?'"
"It was genuinely scary following the loss in Flushing Meadows [to Germany's Daniel Altmaier]. I could not to move for 48 hours. 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 off-season preparation without any pain.
He is scheduled to compete 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 from 2 to 11 January, the week preceding the Australian Open.
"The greatest victory next season is to not have concerns about finishing matches," he stated.
"It is incredibly encouraging realizing you had an off-season in good health – I wish for it to last. I want to deliver during the upcoming season and for the team championship.
"I have done the work. The most important thing is total belief that I can return to my previous level. I will attempt everything to make it happen."
