Stefanos Tsitsipas Seriously Considered Retirement During Injury-Plagued 2025 Season
Stefanos Tsitsipas was the 26th seed at last year's US Open
The tennis professional disclosed he pondered quitting the sport due to debilitating spinal pain during the season.
At 27 years old, the player once ranked as high as third globally, finished as runner-up against Novak Djokovic in the finals of the 2021 French Open alongside the 2023 Australian Open.
Currently placed 36th in the world following minimal competition post a second-round departure in New York this past summer, Tsitsipas indicated that ongoing treatment is finally showing encouraging progress.
"I'm most excited is to observe how my body responds during actual training concerning my injury," commented Tsitsipas.
"The biggest fear centered on if I could complete an encounter," he added, noting the injury had troubled him "for the past six to eight months."
"I would wonder, 'Am I able to play in another match pain-free?'"
"It was genuinely scary following the loss in Flushing Meadows [to Germany's Daniel Altmaier]. I could not to move for two days. That is the moment start reconsidering your career's future."
He also reported being content with the present treatment regimen following the completion of five weeks of off-season preparation 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 tournament will be held in Perth and Sydney from 2 to 11 January, just before the Australian Open.
"The greatest victory next season is to stop worrying over completing bouts," he expressed.
"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 team championship.
"I have done the work. The crucial element is complete faith in my ability to get back to where I was. I will attempt everything to make it happen."
