The Greek tennis star Seriously Considered Retirement Amid Pain-Filled Campaign
The athlete entered the previous US Open as the 26th seed.
The tennis professional disclosed he thought about quitting the sport because of debilitating spinal pain throughout the season.
The 27-year-old, who has reached a career-high ranking of world number three, was a finalist against Novak Djokovic in the finals of the 2021 French Open and the 2023 Australian Open.
Currently placed as the world's 36th best player after a limited schedule since his early exit in New York in August, Tsitsipas indicated continuous medical care is finally showing encouraging progress.
"I'm most excited lies in seeing how my training holds up under actual training concerning my back," said Tsitsipas.
"My primary worry was whether I could complete an encounter," the athlete continued, noting the injury had troubled him "over the last half a year or more."
"I kept asking, 'Can I compete in another match without discomfort?'"
"It was genuinely scary after the defeat at the US Open [to Germany's Daniel Altmaier]. I could not to walk for 48 hours. That is the moment start reconsidering your career's future."
Tsitsipas further mentioned satisfaction regarding the present treatment regimen after finishing an extended period of off-season preparation without any pain.
His next appearance with the Greek team at the team event, drawn against Naomi Osaka's Japan and the British team led by Emma Raducanu. The tournament takes place across Australian cities in early January, the week preceding the season's first major.
"The greatest victory next season is to stop worrying about finishing matches," he stated.
"It provides fantastic feedback to know you completed a pre-season in good health – I wish for it to last. I aim to perform in 2026 and at the team championship.
"The effort is invested. The most important thing is total belief that I can return to where I was. I will attempt everything to achieve that."
