The Greek tennis star Contemplated Retirement Amid Injury-Plagued 2025 Season
Stefanos Tsitsipas was the 26th seed at last year's US Open
The tennis professional disclosed he pondered ending his career 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 in the finals of the 2021 French Open alongside the 2023 Australian Open.
Currently placed 36th in the world after a limited schedule since his early exit in New York in August, Tsitsipas indicated continuous medical care is finally showing positive results.
"I'm most excited is to observe how my body responds during regular practice with regard to my injury," said Tsitsipas.
"My primary worry centered on if I could complete a match," he added, noting the injury had troubled him "for the past six to eight months."
"I would wonder, 'Can I compete another contest without discomfort?'"
"It was genuinely scary after the defeat in Flushing Meadows [to Germany's Daniel Altmaier]. I could not to move for 48 hours. That's when you start reconsidering the path ahead."
He also reported being content with his current recovery plan following the completion of an extended period of pre-season training without any pain.
He is scheduled to compete for Greece at the team event, drawn against Naomi Osaka's Japan and the British team led by Emma Raducanu. The competition takes place in Perth and Sydney from 2 to 11 January, just before the Australian Open.
"The greatest victory for 2026 is to stop worrying about finishing matches," he stated.
"It is incredibly encouraging to know you had a pre-season without pain – I hope it continues. I want to deliver in 2026 and at the United Cup.
"The effort is invested. The crucial element is complete faith in my ability to get back to my previous level. I will try all means to achieve that."
