The Greek tennis star Contemplated Walking Away During Injury-Plagued Campaign
Stefanos Tsitsipas was the 26th seed at last year's US Open
The tennis professional disclosed he pondered ending his career because of severe 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 in the finals of the 2021 French Open alongside the 2023 Australian Open.
Currently placed 36th in the world after a limited schedule since his early exit in New York in August, Tsitsipas indicated continuous medical care is finally showing encouraging progress.
"My greatest anticipation lies in seeing how my training holds up under actual training with regard to my injury," said Tsitsipas.
"My primary worry was whether I was able to finish an encounter," the athlete continued, noting the injury had troubled him "over the last six to eight months."
"I would wonder, 'Can I compete another contest without discomfort?'"
"It was genuinely scary after the defeat in Flushing Meadows [to Germany's Daniel Altmaier]. I was unable to move for two days. That's when you start reconsidering your career's future."
Tsitsipas further mentioned being content with his current recovery plan following the completion of an extended period of pre-season training completely pain-free.
He is scheduled to compete with the Greek team in the United Cup, drawn against Team Japan led by Osaka and the Great Britain squad captained by Raducanu. The tournament takes place across Australian cities in early January, just before the season's first major.
"The greatest victory for 2026 would be to stop worrying about finishing matches," he stated.
"It provides fantastic feedback to know you had an off-season in good health – I hope it continues. I aim to perform 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 make it happen."