The Greek tennis star Contemplated Retirement Amid Injury-Plagued Campaign
The athlete entered the previous US Open as the 26th seed.
The tennis professional disclosed he thought about quitting the sport due to debilitating back issues during the 2025 tennis year.
The 27-year-old, who has reached a career-high ranking of world number three, was a finalist to Novak Djokovic at both the 2021 French Open and the 2023 Australian Open.
Now ranked as the world's 36th best player following minimal competition since his early exit at the US Open in August, he stated that ongoing treatment is finally showing positive results.
"I'm most excited lies in seeing how my training holds up under actual training concerning my back," said Tsitsipas.
"The biggest fear centered on if I could complete a match," the athlete continued, noting the injury plagued him "over the last half a year or more."
"I would wonder, 'Can I compete another contest pain-free?'"
"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 is the moment start reconsidering the path ahead."
Tsitsipas further mentioned being content with his current recovery plan following the completion of an extended period of off-season preparation completely pain-free.
His next appearance with the Greek team at the team event, where they face Naomi Osaka's Japan and the British team led by Emma Raducanu. The tournament will be held across Australian cities in early January, just before the season's first major.
"The greatest victory for 2026 would be to not have concerns about finishing matches," he expressed.
"It is incredibly encouraging to know you had an off-season in good health – I wish for it to last. I aim to perform in 2026 and at the United Cup.
"I have done the work. The most important thing is complete faith that I can return to where I was. I will attempt everything to achieve that."
