The Greek tennis star Contemplated Retirement Amid Pain-Filled Campaign
The athlete entered the previous US Open as the 26th seed.
The tennis professional disclosed he pondered ending his career due to debilitating spinal pain throughout the 2025 tennis year.
The 27-year-old, who has reached a career-high ranking of world number three, finished as runner-up to Novak Djokovic in the finals of the 2021 French Open alongside the 2023 Australian Open.
Now ranked 36th in the world following minimal competition since his early exit at the US Open this past summer, he stated continuous medical care has begun yielding positive results.
"My greatest anticipation lies in seeing how my training responds during regular practice with regard to my injury," commented Tsitsipas.
"My primary worry centered on if I was able to finish an encounter," the athlete continued, explaining the pain plagued him "for the past six to eight months."
"I would wonder, 'Am I able to play another contest pain-free?'"
"It was genuinely scary following the loss in Flushing Meadows [to Germany's Daniel Altmaier]. I was unable to move for 48 hours. That's when you start reconsidering the path ahead."
Tsitsipas further mentioned satisfaction regarding his current recovery plan after finishing five weeks of off-season preparation without any pain.
He is scheduled to compete with the Greek team at the team event, where they face Naomi Osaka's Japan and the British team captained by Raducanu. The tournament takes place across Australian cities in early January, just before the season's first major.
"The greatest victory next season is to stop worrying about finishing matches," he stated.
"It is incredibly encouraging to know you completed 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 in my ability to get back to where I was. I will attempt everything to make it happen."
