The Greek tennis star Seriously Considered Walking Away During Injury-Plagued 2025 Season
The athlete entered the previous US Open as the 26th seed.
The tennis professional disclosed he thought about quitting the sport because of debilitating 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.
Now ranked 36th in the world after a limited schedule post a second-round departure in New York this past summer, Tsitsipas indicated continuous medical care is finally showing encouraging progress.
"I'm most excited is to observe how my body holds up under actual training concerning my back," said Tsitsipas.
"My primary worry centered on if I was able to finish an encounter," the athlete continued, noting the injury plagued him "over the last six to eight months."
"I kept asking, 'Can I compete in another match pain-free?'"
"It was genuinely scary after the defeat in Flushing Meadows [to Germany's Daniel Altmaier]. I could not to walk for 48 hours. That's when you start reconsidering the path ahead."
He also reported satisfaction regarding the present treatment regimen following the completion of five weeks of off-season preparation completely pain-free.
His next appearance for Greece at the team event, where they face Team Japan led by Osaka and the Great Britain squad led by Emma Raducanu. The tournament will be held in Perth and Sydney from 2 to 11 January, the week preceding the Australian Open.
"The greatest victory for 2026 is to stop worrying over completing bouts," he expressed.
"It is incredibly encouraging realizing you had an off-season in good health – I hope it continues. I want to deliver during the upcoming season and for the team championship.
"The effort is invested. The most important thing is complete faith that I can return to my previous level. I will attempt everything to make it happen."
