Stefanos Tsitsipas Seriously Considered Walking Away Amid Injury-Plagued Campaign
The athlete entered the previous US Open as the 26th seed.
The tennis professional disclosed he thought about quitting the sport due to severe spinal pain throughout the season.
The 27-year-old, who has reached a career-high ranking of world number three, was a finalist against Novak Djokovic in the finals of the 2021 French Open and the 2023 Australian Open.
Now ranked 36th in the world following minimal competition since his early exit in New York in August, he stated continuous medical care has begun yielding encouraging progress.
"My greatest anticipation lies in seeing how my body holds up under regular practice with regard to my injury," said Tsitsipas.
"The biggest fear centered on if I was able to finish a match," he added, explaining the pain plagued him "over the last half a year or more."
"I kept asking, 'Can I compete in another match pain-free?'"
"It was genuinely scary following the loss at the US Open [to Germany's Daniel Altmaier]. I was unable to move for 48 hours. That is the moment begin to question your career's future."
He also reported satisfaction regarding his current recovery plan following the completion of five weeks of off-season preparation without any pain.
His next appearance with the Greek team at the team event, where they face Team Japan led by Osaka and the British team captained by Raducanu. The competition takes place across Australian cities in early January, just before the Australian Open.
"My main goal for 2026 would be to stop worrying about finishing matches," 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 team championship.
"I have done the work. The crucial element is total belief in my ability to get back to my previous level. I will try all means to make it happen."