The Greek tennis star Seriously Considered Walking Away During Pain-Filled 2025 Season
Stefanos Tsitsipas was the 26th seed at last year's US Open
The tennis professional disclosed he thought about ending his career due to debilitating spinal pain during the season.
The 27-year-old, who has reached a career-high ranking of world number three, was a finalist to Novak Djokovic at both the 2021 French Open alongside the 2023 Australian Open.
Now ranked as the world's 36th best player after a limited schedule post a second-round departure at the US Open 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 back," commented Tsitsipas.
"My primary worry was whether I could complete an encounter," the athlete continued, explaining the pain had troubled him "for the past half a year or more."
"I kept asking, 'Can I compete another contest without discomfort?'"
"It was genuinely scary after the defeat at the US Open [to Germany's Daniel Altmaier]. I could not to move for two days. That's when you start reconsidering your career's future."
He also reported satisfaction regarding 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 Naomi Osaka's Japan and the Great Britain squad captained by Raducanu. The tournament will be held in Perth and Sydney from 2 to 11 January, just before the Australian Open.
"My main goal next season is to not have concerns about finishing matches," he stated.
"It is incredibly encouraging to know you had a pre-season in good health – I wish for it to last. I aim to perform during the upcoming season and for the United Cup.
"I have done the work. The crucial element is total belief that I can return to my previous level. I will attempt everything to make it happen."
