The Greek tennis star Seriously Considered Retirement Amid Injury-Plagued 2025 Season
The athlete entered the previous US Open as the 26th seed.
The tennis professional disclosed he pondered ending his career because of debilitating back issues throughout 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 and the 2023 Australian Open.
Now ranked 36th in the world following minimal competition post a early exit in New York in August, he stated continuous medical care has begun yielding encouraging progress.
"My greatest anticipation is to observe how my body responds during regular practice concerning my injury," said Tsitsipas.
"My primary worry was whether I was able to finish an encounter," the athlete continued, noting the injury plagued him "over the last half a year or more."
"I kept asking, 'Am I able to play another contest pain-free?'"
"It was genuinely scary after the defeat at the US Open [to Germany's Daniel Altmaier]. I could not to move for two days. That is the moment start reconsidering the path ahead."
Tsitsipas further mentioned being content with the present treatment regimen after finishing five weeks of pre-season training completely pain-free.
His next appearance with the Greek team in the United Cup, where they face Team Japan led by Osaka and the Great Britain squad led by Emma Raducanu. The tournament will be held across Australian cities in early January, the week preceding the Australian Open.
"The greatest victory for 2026 is to not have concerns over completing bouts," he expressed.
"It is incredibly encouraging realizing you completed a pre-season without pain – I hope it continues. I want to deliver in 2026 and at the United Cup.
"I have done the work. The crucial element is total belief that I can return to my previous level. I will try all means to achieve that."
