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Stefanos Tsitsipas has revealed he thought about ending his career because of debilitating back issues throughout the season.

At 27 years old, the player once ranked as high as third globally, finished as runner-up to Novak Djokovic at both the 2021 French Open and the 2023 Australian Open.

Now ranked as the world's 36th best player following minimal competition since his early exit in New York this past summer, he stated that ongoing treatment has begun yielding encouraging progress.

"My greatest anticipation lies in seeing how my body responds during regular practice concerning my back," said Tsitsipas.

"The biggest fear was whether I could complete an encounter," the athlete continued, explaining the pain had troubled him "over the last six to eight months."

"I kept asking, 'Am I able to play in another match without discomfort?'"

"I became truly frightened after the defeat in Flushing Meadows [to Germany's Daniel Altmaier]. I was unable to move for 48 hours. That's when you begin to question your career's future."

Tsitsipas further mentioned satisfaction regarding his current recovery plan following the completion of five weeks of pre-season training without any pain.

He is scheduled to compete with the Greek team at the team event, drawn against Naomi Osaka's Japan and the British team captained by Raducanu. The competition will be held in Perth and Sydney in early January, just before the Australian Open.

"The greatest victory for 2026 would be to not have concerns about finishing matches," he stated.

"It is incredibly encouraging to know you had a pre-season in good health – I wish for it to last. I aim to perform during the upcoming season and for the United Cup.

"I have done the work. The most important thing is total belief in my ability to get back to my previous level. I will attempt everything to achieve that."