The Greek tennis star Contemplated Walking Away During Pain-Filled Campaign
The athlete entered the previous US Open as the 26th seed.
Stefanos Tsitsipas has revealed he thought about ending his career due to severe spinal pain during the season.
The 27-year-old, who has reached a career-high ranking of world number three, was a finalist against Novak Djokovic at both the 2021 French Open and the 2023 Australian Open.
Currently placed 36th in the world after a limited schedule since his early exit at the US Open in August, Tsitsipas indicated that ongoing treatment has begun yielding positive results.
"My greatest anticipation lies in seeing how my body responds during regular practice with regard to my injury," commented Tsitsipas.
"The biggest fear was whether I could complete an encounter," the athlete continued, explaining the pain had troubled him "over the last half a year or more."
"I kept asking, 'Can I compete another contest without discomfort?'"
"I became truly frightened following the loss at the US Open [to Germany's Daniel Altmaier]. I could not to walk for two days. That is the moment begin to question your career's future."
He also reported being content with the present treatment regimen after finishing five weeks of off-season preparation completely pain-free.
His next appearance for Greece at the team event, where they face Naomi Osaka's Japan and the Great Britain squad led by Emma Raducanu. The competition takes place in Perth and Sydney from 2 to 11 January, just before the Australian Open.
"My main goal for 2026 would be to not have concerns about finishing matches," he stated.
"It provides fantastic feedback to know you had an off-season in good health – I hope it continues. I aim to perform during the upcoming season and for the United Cup.
"I have done the work. The crucial element is total belief in my ability to get back to my previous level. I will attempt everything to make it happen."
