The Greek tennis star Contemplated Retirement During Injury-Plagued 2025 Season

The tennis professional disclosed he thought about ending his career because of debilitating back issues throughout the season.

At 27 years old, the player once ranked as high as third globally, was a finalist against Novak Djokovic at both the 2021 French Open and the 2023 Australian Open.

Now ranked 36th in the world after a limited schedule since his early exit in New York in August, Tsitsipas indicated continuous medical care is finally showing positive results.

"I'm most excited lies in seeing how my body holds up under regular practice with regard to my back," commented Tsitsipas.

"My primary worry was whether I could complete an encounter," he added, noting the injury plagued him "for the past half a year or more."

"I kept asking, 'Am I able to play another contest pain-free?'"

"I became truly frightened following the loss at the US Open [to Germany's Daniel Altmaier]. I was unable to move for 48 hours. That's when you start reconsidering the path ahead."

He also reported being content with his current recovery plan after finishing an extended period of off-season preparation without any pain.

His next appearance with the Greek team in the United Cup, drawn against Naomi Osaka's Japan and the Great Britain squad led by Emma Raducanu. The tournament takes place across Australian cities from 2 to 11 January, just before the season's first major.

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

"It is incredibly encouraging realizing you had an off-season in good health – I wish for it to last. I aim to perform during the upcoming season and for the team championship.

"I have done the work. The most important thing is complete faith in my ability to get back to where I was. I will try all means to achieve that."