Stefanos Tsitsipas Seriously Considered Walking Away During Injury-Plagued Campaign

Stefanos Tsitsipas has revealed he pondered quitting the sport because of severe spinal pain throughout the season.

At 27 years old, the player once ranked as high as third globally, was a finalist to Novak Djokovic in the finals of the 2021 French Open alongside the 2023 Australian Open.

Currently placed as the world's 36th best player after a limited schedule post a 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 body responds during regular practice concerning my back," commented Tsitsipas.

"The biggest fear centered on if I could complete a match," he added, explaining the pain plagued him "over the last six to eight months."

"I kept asking, 'Can I compete another contest pain-free?'"

"I became truly frightened after the defeat in Flushing Meadows [to Germany's Daniel Altmaier]. I could not to move for 48 hours. That is the moment begin to question the path ahead."

He also reported being content with his current recovery plan after finishing five weeks of off-season preparation 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 British team captained by Raducanu. The competition takes place across Australian cities from 2 to 11 January, the week preceding the Australian Open.

"The greatest victory for 2026 would be to not have concerns about finishing matches," he expressed.

"It is incredibly encouraging realizing you completed a pre-season without pain – I wish for it to last. I want to deliver in 2026 and at the team championship.

"I have done the work. The most important thing is total belief that I can return to my previous level. I will try all means to make it happen."