Stefanos Tsitsipas Contemplated Retirement During Injury-Plagued Campaign

A competitive moment for Tsitsipas

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

The tennis professional disclosed he thought about quitting the sport because of severe spinal pain throughout the season.

At 27 years old, the player once ranked as high as third globally, finished as runner-up against Novak Djokovic in the finals of 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, he stated that ongoing treatment has begun yielding encouraging progress.

"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 a match," he added, noting the injury had troubled 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 after the defeat at the US Open [to Germany's Daniel Altmaier]. I was unable to walk for two days. That's when you start reconsidering your career's future."

Tsitsipas further mentioned satisfaction regarding his current recovery plan following the completion of five weeks of pre-season training completely pain-free.

His next appearance for Greece at the team event, where they face Naomi Osaka's Japan and the British team captained by Raducanu. The tournament takes place across Australian cities in early January, just before the season's first major.

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

"It provides fantastic feedback to know you had a pre-season in good health – I hope it continues. I aim to perform during the upcoming season and for the United Cup.

"I have done the work. The most important thing is total belief that I can return to where I was. I will attempt everything to achieve that."

Deborah Hunt
Deborah Hunt

A seasoned gaming analyst with over a decade of experience in casino reviews and slot strategy development.