Stefanos Tsitsipas Contemplated Retirement During Pain-Filled 2025 Season
Stefanos Tsitsipas was the 26th seed at last year's US Open
Stefanos Tsitsipas has revealed he pondered quitting the sport due to debilitating spinal pain throughout the season.
At 27 years old, the player once ranked as high as third globally, finished as runner-up to Novak Djokovic at both the 2021 French Open alongside the 2023 Australian Open.
Now ranked as the world's 36th best player following minimal competition post a early exit at the US Open in August, he stated that ongoing treatment is finally showing positive results.
"My greatest anticipation lies in seeing how my body holds up under regular practice concerning my injury," said Tsitsipas.
"The biggest fear was whether I was able to finish a match," the athlete continued, noting the injury plagued him "over the last six to eight months."
"I would wonder, 'Can I compete another contest without discomfort?'"
"It was genuinely scary following the loss at the US Open [to Germany's Daniel Altmaier]. I could not to walk for 48 hours. That's when you start reconsidering the path ahead."
He also reported being content with his current recovery plan following the completion of an extended period of pre-season training without any pain.
He is scheduled to compete with the Greek team in the United Cup, drawn against Naomi Osaka's Japan and the British team captained by Raducanu. The competition takes place in Perth and Sydney from 2 to 11 January, the week preceding the Australian Open.
"My main goal next season would be to not have concerns about finishing matches," he stated.
"It provides fantastic feedback realizing you had an off-season in good health – I hope it continues. I aim to perform in 2026 and at the team championship.
"The effort is invested. The most important thing is total belief in my ability to get back to where I was. I will attempt everything to achieve that."
