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Stefanos Tsitsipas has revealed he thought about quitting the sport due to debilitating spinal pain during the season.

The 27-year-old, who has reached a career-high ranking of world number three, was a finalist against Novak Djokovic in the finals of the 2021 French Open alongside the 2023 Australian Open.

Currently placed 36th in the world after a limited schedule since his early exit at the US Open this past summer, he stated continuous medical care has begun yielding positive results.

"I'm most excited is to observe how my training responds during actual training concerning my back," commented Tsitsipas.

"The biggest fear centered on if I was able to finish an encounter," the athlete continued, explaining the pain plagued him "over the last six to eight months."

"I kept asking, 'Can I compete in another match without discomfort?'"

"It was genuinely scary following the loss in Flushing Meadows [to Germany's Daniel Altmaier]. I was unable to walk for 48 hours. That's when you start reconsidering your career's future."

Tsitsipas further mentioned satisfaction regarding his current recovery plan following the completion of an extended period of off-season preparation completely pain-free.

He is scheduled to compete with the Greek team at the team event, where they face Naomi Osaka's Japan and the British team captained by Raducanu. The tournament takes place in Perth and Sydney from 2 to 11 January, just before the season's first major.

"The greatest victory for 2026 is to stop worrying over completing bouts," he stated.

"It provides fantastic feedback realizing you had a pre-season without pain – I wish for it to last. I aim to perform in 2026 and at the team championship.

"The effort is invested. The crucial element is total belief that I can return to my previous level. I will attempt everything to achieve that."