The Greek tennis star Seriously Considered Retirement During Injury-Plagued 2025 Season
Stefanos Tsitsipas was the 26th seed at last year's US Open
Stefanos Tsitsipas has revealed he thought about ending his career due to severe back issues during the 2025 tennis year.
At 27 years old, the player once ranked as high as third globally, finished as runner-up to Novak Djokovic at both the 2021 French Open alongside the 2023 Australian Open.
Currently placed 36th in the world following minimal competition since his early exit at the US Open this past summer, he stated continuous medical care has begun yielding encouraging progress.
"My greatest anticipation lies in seeing how my training holds up under actual training with regard to my injury," commented Tsitsipas.
"My primary worry was whether I could complete a match," he added, explaining the pain plagued him "for the past half a year or more."
"I kept asking, 'Am I able to play in another match without discomfort?'"
"It was genuinely scary after the defeat in Flushing Meadows [to Germany's Daniel Altmaier]. I was unable to move for 48 hours. That is the moment begin to question the path ahead."
Tsitsipas further mentioned satisfaction regarding his current recovery plan after finishing an extended period of off-season preparation completely pain-free.
He is scheduled to compete for Greece at the team event, drawn against Team Japan led by Osaka and the Great Britain squad captained by Raducanu. The competition takes place in Perth and Sydney in early January, just before the Australian Open.
"My main goal for 2026 would be to not have concerns over completing bouts," he expressed.
"It is incredibly encouraging realizing you completed a pre-season in good health – I wish for it to last. I want to deliver during the upcoming season and for the team championship.
"I have done the work. The crucial element is complete faith in my ability to get back to where I was. I will try all means to make it happen."
