The Greek tennis star Seriously Considered Retirement During Injury-Plagued Campaign
The athlete entered the previous US Open as the 26th seed.
Stefanos Tsitsipas has revealed he pondered quitting the sport due to debilitating spinal pain during the season.
The 27-year-old, who has reached a career-high ranking of world number three, finished as runner-up to Novak Djokovic at both the 2021 French Open alongside the 2023 Australian Open.
Now ranked 36th in the world after a limited schedule since his second-round departure at the US Open in August, he stated continuous medical care is finally showing positive results.
"My greatest anticipation lies in seeing how my body holds up under regular practice with regard to my injury," commented Tsitsipas.
"The biggest fear was whether I was able to finish an encounter," he added, explaining the pain plagued him "over the last 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 was unable to move for 48 hours. That's when you begin to question your career's future."
Tsitsipas further mentioned satisfaction regarding the present treatment regimen following the completion of an extended period of off-season preparation without any pain.
He is scheduled to compete with the Greek team at the team event, drawn against Naomi Osaka's Japan and the Great Britain squad captained by Raducanu. The tournament takes place in Perth and Sydney in early January, the week preceding the season's first major.
"My main goal next season would be to not have concerns over completing bouts," he stated.
"It provides fantastic feedback realizing you completed a pre-season without pain – I hope it continues. I aim to perform in 2026 and at the team championship.
"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."
