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

A competitive moment for Tsitsipas

Stefanos Tsitsipas was the 26th seed at last year's US Open

The tennis professional disclosed he thought about ending his career due to severe back issues throughout the season.

At 27 years old, the player once ranked as high as third globally, was a finalist to Novak Djokovic at both the 2021 French Open and 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, he stated that ongoing treatment has begun yielding encouraging progress.

"I'm most excited lies in seeing how my body holds up under actual training with regard to my injury," said Tsitsipas.

"The biggest fear centered on if I was able to finish an encounter," the athlete continued, explaining the pain plagued him "for the past half a year or more."

"I kept asking, 'Am I able to play in another match without discomfort?'"

"It was genuinely scary following the loss at the US Open [to Germany's Daniel Altmaier]. I could not to walk for 48 hours. That's when you begin to question the path ahead."

He also reported being content with the present treatment regimen after finishing five weeks of off-season preparation without any pain.

His next appearance with the Greek team at the team event, drawn against Naomi Osaka's Japan and the Great Britain squad captained by Raducanu. The tournament takes place in Perth and Sydney in early January, the week preceding the Australian Open.

"My main goal for 2026 is to not have concerns about finishing matches," he expressed.

"It provides fantastic feedback realizing you had an off-season without pain – I wish for it to last. I aim to perform in 2026 and at the United Cup.

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

Melinda Romero
Melinda Romero

A passionate life coach and writer dedicated to helping others unlock their potential through practical, science-backed methods.