The Greek tennis star Seriously Considered Walking Away Amid Pain-Filled Campaign
Stefanos Tsitsipas was the 26th seed at last year's US Open
The tennis professional disclosed he thought about ending his career because of severe back issues throughout the season.
The 27-year-old, who has reached a career-high ranking of world number three, was a finalist against Novak Djokovic at both the 2021 French Open and the 2023 Australian Open.
Now ranked 36th in the world following minimal competition since his early exit in New York in August, he stated continuous medical care is finally showing encouraging progress.
"My greatest anticipation is to observe how my body responds during regular practice concerning my back," commented Tsitsipas.
"The biggest fear centered on if I was able to finish a match," the athlete continued, explaining the pain plagued him "over the last half a year or more."
"I kept asking, 'Am I able to play another contest without discomfort?'"
"It was genuinely scary 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."
Tsitsipas further mentioned satisfaction regarding his current recovery plan following the completion of five weeks of off-season preparation without any pain.
His next appearance for Greece at the team event, where they face Team Japan led by Osaka and the British team captained by Raducanu. The competition takes place across Australian cities in early January, just before the season's first major.
"The greatest victory next season would be to not have concerns over completing bouts," he expressed.
"It provides fantastic feedback realizing you had an off-season without pain – 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 where I was. I will try all means to make it happen."
