Stefanos Tsitsipas Contemplated Walking Away Amid Pain-Filled Campaign
Stefanos Tsitsipas was the 26th seed at last year's US Open
Stefanos Tsitsipas has revealed he pondered ending his career because of 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 and the 2023 Australian Open.
Currently placed 36th in the world following minimal competition since his second-round departure in New York this past summer, he stated continuous medical care is finally showing positive results.
"I'm most excited is to observe how my training responds during regular practice with regard to my injury," said Tsitsipas.
"My primary worry centered on if I could complete an encounter," the athlete continued, noting the injury had troubled him "over the last six to eight months."
"I would wonder, 'Am I able to play in another match pain-free?'"
"I became truly frightened following the loss in Flushing Meadows [to Germany's Daniel Altmaier]. I could not to move for two days. That's when you begin to question the path ahead."
Tsitsipas further mentioned being content with the present treatment regimen following the completion of five weeks of pre-season training without any pain.
His next appearance for Greece in the United Cup, where they face Team Japan led by Osaka and the Great Britain squad led by Emma Raducanu. The competition will be held in Perth and Sydney in early January, just before the Australian Open.
"The greatest victory for 2026 would be to not have concerns about finishing matches," he stated.
"It provides fantastic feedback realizing you completed a pre-season without pain – I wish for it to last. I want to deliver during the upcoming season and for the United Cup.
"The effort is invested. The most important thing is complete faith that I can return to where I was. I will try all means to achieve that."
