Stefanos Tsitsipas Seriously Considered Retirement During Injury-Plagued 2025 Season
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 during the season.
At 27 years old, the player once ranked as high as third globally, finished as runner-up to Novak Djokovic in the finals of the 2021 French Open alongside the 2023 Australian Open.
Now ranked 36th in the world following minimal competition post a early exit at the US Open in August, he stated that ongoing treatment has begun yielding positive results.
"My greatest anticipation is to observe how my body holds up under regular practice concerning my injury," commented Tsitsipas.
"The biggest fear centered on if I could complete a match," the athlete continued, explaining the pain plagued him "for the past half a year or more."
"I kept asking, 'Can I compete in another match without discomfort?'"
"I became truly frightened following the loss in Flushing Meadows [to Germany's Daniel Altmaier]. I was unable to walk for 48 hours. That's when you begin to question your career's future."
Tsitsipas further mentioned satisfaction regarding the present treatment regimen following the completion of five weeks of pre-season training without any pain.
He is scheduled to compete 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 takes place in Perth and Sydney from 2 to 11 January, the week preceding the season's first major.
"The greatest victory for 2026 would be to not have concerns over completing bouts," he expressed.
"It provides fantastic feedback to know you completed a pre-season in good health – I hope it continues. I aim to perform during the upcoming season and for the United Cup.
"I have done the work. The crucial element is complete faith in my ability to get back to my previous level. I will attempt everything to achieve that."
