The Greek tennis star Seriously Considered Retirement Amid Injury-Plagued Campaign
The athlete entered the previous US Open as the 26th seed.
The tennis professional disclosed he pondered quitting the sport due to debilitating spinal pain during the season.
At 27 years old, the player once ranked as high as third globally, finished as runner-up against Novak Djokovic at both the 2021 French Open and the 2023 Australian Open.
Currently placed 36th in the world after a limited schedule since his early exit at the US Open in August, Tsitsipas indicated continuous medical care has begun yielding positive results.
"My greatest anticipation is to observe how my training responds during actual training concerning my injury," said Tsitsipas.
"The biggest fear was whether I was able to finish an encounter," he added, explaining the pain plagued him "over the last half a year or more."
"I would wonder, 'Can I compete another contest without discomfort?'"
"It was genuinely scary following the loss in Flushing Meadows [to Germany's Daniel Altmaier]. I was unable to walk for 48 hours. That is the moment begin to question the path ahead."
He also reported satisfaction regarding his current recovery plan after finishing an extended period of pre-season training completely pain-free.
He is scheduled to compete with the Greek team at the team event, where they face Team Japan led by Osaka and the British team captained by Raducanu. The tournament takes place in Perth and Sydney in early January, the week preceding the season's first major.
"The greatest victory next season would be to not have concerns about finishing matches," he stated.
"It is incredibly encouraging realizing you completed a pre-season without pain – I hope it continues. I want to deliver in 2026 and at the team championship.
"The effort is invested. The most important thing is total belief that I can return to my previous level. I will try all means to make it happen."
