Stefanos Tsitsipas Seriously Considered Retirement Amid Pain-Filled 2025 Season

Stefanos Tsitsipas in action

The athlete entered the previous US Open as the 26th seed.

The tennis professional disclosed he thought about quitting the sport because of severe back issues during the 2025 tennis year.

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.

Currently placed as the world's 36th best player after a limited schedule since his second-round departure in New York in August, he stated that ongoing treatment is finally showing encouraging progress.

"I'm most excited is to observe how my body holds up under actual training concerning my injury," commented Tsitsipas.

"My primary worry was whether I could complete a match," he added, explaining the pain plagued him "over the last half a year or more."

"I kept asking, 'Am I able to play 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 two days. That's when you begin to question your career's future."

Tsitsipas further mentioned being content with his current recovery plan following the completion of an extended period of pre-season training completely pain-free.

He is scheduled to compete with the Greek team at the team event, drawn against Team Japan led by Osaka and the Great Britain squad led by Emma Raducanu. The tournament will be held across Australian cities in early January, the week preceding the season's first major.

"My main goal for 2026 would be to stop worrying over completing bouts," he stated.

"It is incredibly encouraging to know you had an off-season in good health – I hope it continues. I want to deliver 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 try all means to make it happen."

Christopher Johnson
Christopher Johnson

A seasoned gambling analyst with over a decade of experience in casino game reviews and responsible gaming advocacy.