The Greek tennis star Seriously Considered Retirement During Pain-Filled 2025 Season
Stefanos Tsitsipas was the 26th seed at last year's US Open
Stefanos Tsitsipas has revealed he pondered ending his career due to debilitating back issues during the 2025 tennis year.
The 27-year-old, who has reached a career-high ranking of world number three, finished as runner-up against Novak Djokovic at both the 2021 French Open and the 2023 Australian Open.
Now ranked 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 encouraging progress.
"I'm most excited lies in seeing how my body responds during regular practice concerning my injury," said Tsitsipas.
"My primary worry centered on if I could complete a match," the athlete continued, noting the injury plagued him "for the past half a year or more."
"I kept asking, 'Am I able to play in another match pain-free?'"
"I became truly frightened following the loss at the US Open [to Germany's Daniel Altmaier]. I was unable to walk for two days. That's when you begin to question the path ahead."
Tsitsipas further mentioned satisfaction regarding his current recovery plan after finishing an extended period of off-season preparation without any pain.
He is scheduled to compete for Greece in the United Cup, drawn against Team Japan led by Osaka and the British team captained by Raducanu. The competition will be held across Australian cities in early January, just before the season's first major.
"The greatest victory next season would be to stop worrying about finishing matches," he expressed.
"It provides fantastic feedback to know you completed an off-season without pain – I hope it continues. I want to deliver in 2026 and at the team championship.
"I have done the work. The crucial element is total belief in my ability to get back to where I was. I will try all means to make it happen."
