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Stefanos Tsitsipas has revealed he thought about ending his career due to severe back issues during the season.

At 27 years old, the player once ranked as high as third globally, was a finalist against 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 post a early exit at the US Open in August, Tsitsipas indicated that ongoing treatment has begun yielding encouraging progress.

"I'm most excited lies in seeing how my training responds during actual training with regard to my injury," said Tsitsipas.

"My primary worry was whether I could complete a match," the athlete continued, noting the injury plagued him "over the last half a year or more."

"I would wonder, 'Am I able to play another contest without discomfort?'"

"I became truly frightened after the defeat in Flushing Meadows [to Germany's Daniel Altmaier]. I was unable to move for two days. That is the moment begin to question your career's future."

He also reported being content with his current recovery plan following the completion of an extended period of off-season preparation without any pain.

He is scheduled to compete with the Greek team in the United Cup, where they face Naomi Osaka's Japan and the Great Britain squad captained by Raducanu. The tournament will be held in Perth and Sydney in early January, just before the Australian Open.

"The greatest victory for 2026 would be to stop worrying about finishing matches," he stated.

"It provides fantastic feedback realizing you had a pre-season in good health – I wish for it to last. I aim to perform in 2026 and at the United Cup.

"The effort is invested. The crucial element is complete faith that I can return to where I was. I will attempt everything to achieve that."