Stefanos Tsitsipas Seriously Considered Walking Away During Injury-Plagued Campaign
The athlete entered the previous US Open as the 26th seed.
Stefanos Tsitsipas has revealed he thought about quitting the sport due to severe back issues throughout 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 alongside the 2023 Australian Open.
Currently placed as the world's 36th best player following minimal competition post a second-round departure at the US Open this past summer, Tsitsipas indicated that ongoing treatment is finally showing encouraging progress.
"My greatest anticipation lies in seeing how my body responds during regular practice concerning my injury," said Tsitsipas.
"My primary worry was whether I could complete a match," the athlete continued, explaining the pain had troubled him "for the past half a year or more."
"I kept asking, 'Am I able to play another contest pain-free?'"
"It was genuinely scary after the defeat in Flushing Meadows [to Germany's Daniel Altmaier]. I was unable to move for 48 hours. That is the moment begin to question the path ahead."
He also reported being content with the present treatment regimen following the completion of five weeks of pre-season training completely pain-free.
His next appearance for Greece in the United Cup, drawn against Naomi Osaka's Japan and the British team led by Emma Raducanu. The tournament takes place across Australian cities in early January, just before the Australian Open.
"My main goal next season would be to stop worrying over completing bouts," he expressed.
"It provides fantastic feedback realizing you completed a pre-season in good health – I wish for it to last. I aim to perform in 2026 and at the United Cup.
"The effort is invested. The most important thing is total belief in my ability to get back to my previous level. I will try all means to make it happen."
