In-pain Tsitsipas considered packing in his career

Stefanos Tsitsipas confessed on Thursday that thoughts of retirement crossed his mind as he battled back pain last season.

The former world No. 3 who now stands 36th, said that he is ready to test his off-season fitness after five solid training weeks as he and Maria Sakkari lead Greece into a fourth appearance at the mixed team United Cup in Perth.

The Greeks begin on Friday against Japan, led by Naomi Osaka, a four-time Grand Slam champion and twice the Australian Open winner.

Tsitsipas lost in the US Open second round after limping through “six to eight months” of 2025 and said he considered ending his career due to serious discomfort..

“I’m the most excited to see how my actual training responds with regard to my back,” the 2023 Australian Open finalist said. “My biggest concern was if I could finish a match.

“I would ask ‘can I play another match without pain?’.

“I got really scared after the US Open loss (to Daniel Altmaier). “I could not walk for two days. That’s when you reconsider the future of your career.”

Tsitsipas said he made the rounds of doctors and reportedly also received some long-distance help from a spiritualist, though he has never spoken of the matter.

“It makes great feedback knowing you had a preseason 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 (the level) I was / I will try everything to do that.”