The Greek tennis star Seriously Considered Retirement Amid Pain-Filled Campaign
The athlete entered the previous US Open as the 26th seed.
Stefanos Tsitsipas has revealed he thought about quitting the sport because of debilitating back issues during the season.
The 27-year-old, who has reached a career-high ranking of world number three, finished as runner-up to Novak Djokovic at both the 2021 French Open and the 2023 Australian Open.
Now ranked as the world's 36th best player following minimal competition post a early exit in New York in August, Tsitsipas indicated continuous medical care is finally showing positive results.
"My greatest anticipation lies in seeing how my body responds during actual training with regard to my injury," commented Tsitsipas.
"My primary worry was whether I could complete a match," the athlete continued, noting the injury had troubled him "over the last six to eight months."
"I kept asking, 'Can I compete another contest without discomfort?'"
"It was genuinely scary after the defeat in Flushing Meadows [to Germany's Daniel Altmaier]. I could not to walk for two days. That's when you start reconsidering the path ahead."
He also reported satisfaction regarding the present treatment regimen after finishing an extended period of off-season preparation without any pain.
His next appearance for Greece in the United Cup, where they face Team Japan led by Osaka and the Great Britain squad captained by Raducanu. The tournament takes place across Australian cities from 2 to 11 January, the week preceding the season's first major.
"The greatest victory for 2026 is to not have concerns about finishing matches," he stated.
"It is incredibly encouraging to know you completed an off-season in good health – I hope it continues. I aim to perform during the upcoming season and for the team championship.
"The effort is invested. The most important thing is total belief that I can return to where I was. I will attempt everything to make it happen."
