Stefanos Tsitsipas says he considered retiring from tennis because of serious back pain during the 2025 season.
The 27-year-old has been as high as number three in the world and was runner-up to Novak Djokovic at the 2021 French Open and 2023 Australian Open.
Now ranked 36th in the world after playing just two Davis Cup matches since a second-round exit at the US Open in August, he said he is finally seeing progress through ongoing medical treatment.
“I’m most excited to see how my actual training responds with regard to my back,” Tsitsipas said.
“My biggest concern was if I could finish a match,” added Tsitsipas, who said the injury had haunted him “for the last six or eight months”.
“I would ask, ‘Can I play another match without pain?'”
“I got really scared after the US Open loss [to Germany’s Daniel Altmaier]. I could not walk for two days. That’s when you reconsider the future of your career.”
Tsitsipas added he was satisfied with his current care plan after completing five weeks of off-season training without pain.
He will play for Greece, who are grouped with Naomi Osaka’s Japan and the Emma Raducanu-led Great Britain team in the United Cup, which will take place in Perth and Sydney from 2 to 11 January, the week before the Australian Open.
“My biggest win for 2026 would be to not have to worry about finishing matches,” he said.
“It makes great feedback knowing you had a pre-season without pain – I hope it stays that way. I want to deliver for 2026 and the United Cup.
“I put in the work. The most important thing is full belief that I can come back to where I was. I will try everything to do that.”