Stefanos Tsitsipas Seriously Considered Retirement During Pain-Filled 2025 Season

Stefanos Tsitsipas has revealed he thought about ending his career because of debilitating 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.

Currently placed 36th in the world following minimal competition post a second-round departure at the US Open this past summer, Tsitsipas indicated continuous medical care is finally showing encouraging progress.

"My greatest anticipation lies in seeing how my body responds during regular practice concerning my injury," said Tsitsipas.

"The biggest fear centered on if I was able to finish an encounter," he added, noting the injury had troubled him "over the last six to eight months."

"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 48 hours. That's when you start reconsidering your career's future."

He also reported satisfaction regarding the present treatment regimen after finishing five weeks of off-season preparation without any pain.

He is scheduled to compete for Greece at the team event, drawn against Team Japan led by Osaka and the British team captained by Raducanu. The tournament will be held across Australian cities in early January, just before the Australian Open.

"The greatest victory next season would be to not have concerns about finishing matches," he expressed.

"It provides fantastic feedback to know you completed a pre-season in good health – 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 most important thing is total belief in my ability to get back to where I was. I will attempt everything to achieve that."