Stefanos Tsitsipas has opened up about one of the toughest periods of his career.
Despite once rising to world No. 3 and reaching Grand Slam finals at the French Open in 2021 and the Australian Open in 2023, the Greek star said the chronic back pain he battled throughout 2025 left him questioning whether he could keep playing at the top level and even pushed him to consider retirement.
"I'm most excited to see how my actual training responds with regard to my back," Tsitsipas said as per BBC Sports.
The player now ranked 36th in the world continued, "My biggest concern was if I could finish a match," added Tsitsipas, who said the injury had haunted him "for the last six or eight months. I would ask, 'Can I play another match without pain?'"
"I got really scared after the US Open loss [to Germany's Daniel Altmaier]. I could not walk for two days. That's when you reconsider the future of your career," the 27-year-old further added.
He believed the biggest success for him in 2026 would be staying healthy enough to play matches from start to finish without pain.
Tsitsipas feels positive because his pre-season training was pain-free and he hopes that continues.
"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 I was. I will try everything to do that," Tsitsipas added.
Tsitsipas will next represent Greece in the United Cup tournament.
