Stefanos Tsitsipas says he considered retiring from tennis due to severe back pain during the 2025 season.
The 27-year-old reached No. 3 in the world and was runner-up to Novak Djokovic at the 2021 French Open and 2023 Australian Open.
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Now ranked 36th in the world after playing just two Davis Cup matches since being eliminated in the second round of the US Open in August, he said he is finally seeing progress thanks to continued medical treatment.
“I’m very excited to see how my actual training reacts as far as my back is concerned,” Tsitsipas said.
“My biggest concern was whether I could finish a match,” added Tsitsipas, who said the injury had haunted him “for six or eight months.”
“I would ask, ‘Can I play another match without pain?'”
“I was very scared after the defeat at the US Open (against German Daniel Altmaier). I couldn’t walk for two days. That’s when you reconsider the future of your career.”
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Tsitsipas added that he is happy with his current care plan after completing five weeks of off-season training without pain.
He will play for Greece, who are part of Naomi Osaka’s Japan squad and Emma Raducanu’s Great Britain team in the United Cup, which takes place in Perth and Sydney from January 2-11, the week before the Australian Open.
“My biggest victory for 2026 would be not having to worry about finishing matches,” he said.
“It’s great feedback to know you’ve had a pain-free pre-season – I hope it stays that way. I want to keep my promises for 2026 and the United Cup.
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“I worked hard. The most important thing is to fully believe that I can get back to where I was. I will try everything to achieve that.”
