🔗 Share this article The Greek tennis star Contemplated Walking Away During Injury-Plagued Campaign The athlete entered the previous US Open as the 26th seed. The tennis professional disclosed he thought about quitting the sport due to debilitating back issues throughout the season. The 27-year-old, who has reached a career-high ranking of world number three, was a finalist to 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 post a early exit at the US Open in August, Tsitsipas indicated that ongoing treatment is finally showing encouraging progress. "My greatest anticipation lies in seeing how my body holds up under actual training with regard to my back," said Tsitsipas. "My primary worry was whether I was able to finish a match," he added, explaining the pain had troubled him "for the past six to eight months." "I would wonder, 'Can I compete another contest without discomfort?'" "I became truly frightened following the loss at the US Open [to Germany's Daniel Altmaier]. I was unable to move for 48 hours. That is the moment begin to question the path ahead." Tsitsipas further mentioned being content with his current recovery plan after finishing five weeks of off-season preparation without any pain. 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 from 2 to 11 January, just before the Australian Open. "The greatest victory next season would be to stop worrying about finishing matches," he stated. "It is incredibly encouraging to know you had a pre-season in good health – I hope it continues. I want to deliver during the upcoming season and for the United Cup. "I have done the work. The crucial element is total belief in my ability to get back to where I was. I will try all means to achieve that."