🔗 Share this article

The tennis professional disclosed he thought about ending his career because of debilitating spinal pain during the season.

At 27 years old, the player once ranked as high as third globally, was a finalist to Novak Djokovic in the finals of the 2021 French Open alongside the 2023 Australian Open.

Currently placed 36th in the world following minimal competition since his early exit in New York this past summer, he stated continuous medical care is finally showing positive results.

"My greatest anticipation lies in seeing how my body responds during actual training with regard to my injury," commented Tsitsipas.

"The biggest fear was whether I could complete an encounter," the athlete continued, noting the injury plagued him "for the past six to eight months."

"I kept asking, 'Can I compete in another match without discomfort?'"

"It was genuinely scary after the defeat in Flushing Meadows [to Germany's Daniel Altmaier]. I was unable to walk for 48 hours. That's when you begin to question the path ahead."

He also reported satisfaction regarding his current recovery plan after finishing five weeks of pre-season training completely pain-free.

He is scheduled to compete with the Greek team in the United Cup, where they face Team Japan led by Osaka and the Great Britain squad captained by Raducanu. The tournament 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 about finishing matches," he expressed.

"It provides fantastic feedback realizing you completed a pre-season in good health – I hope it continues. I aim to perform during the upcoming season and for the team championship.

"The effort is invested. The most important thing is complete faith in my ability to get back to my previous level. I will attempt everything to make it happen."