Stefanos Tsitsipas Seriously Considered Walking Away Amid Pain-Filled Campaign
The athlete entered the previous US Open as the 26th seed.
The tennis professional disclosed he pondered quitting the sport because of severe back issues during the season.
The 27-year-old, who has reached a career-high ranking of world number three, was a finalist to Novak Djokovic in the finals of the 2021 French Open alongside the 2023 Australian Open.
Now ranked 36th in the world after a limited schedule since his early exit in New York this past summer, he stated continuous medical care is finally showing positive results.
"I'm most excited lies in seeing how my body holds up under actual training with regard to my back," commented Tsitsipas.
"The biggest fear was whether I could complete a match," the athlete continued, explaining the pain had troubled him "for the past six to eight months."
"I kept asking, 'Am I able to play another contest pain-free?'"
"I became truly frightened following the loss in Flushing Meadows [to Germany's Daniel Altmaier]. I was unable to move for 48 hours. That's when you start reconsidering your career's future."
He also reported satisfaction regarding his current recovery plan after finishing an extended period of pre-season training completely pain-free.
His next appearance with the Greek team at the team event, where they face Naomi Osaka's Japan and the Great Britain squad captained by Raducanu. The competition will be held across Australian cities in early January, just before the season's first major.
"The greatest victory next season is to stop worrying over completing bouts," he stated.
"It is incredibly encouraging to know you completed a pre-season in good health – I hope it continues. I want to deliver during the upcoming season and for the United Cup.
"The effort is invested. The most important thing is complete faith in my ability to get back to my previous level. I will try all means to achieve that."