Stefanos Tsitsipas Seriously Considered Retirement Amid Injury-Plagued 2025 Season

Stefanos Tsitsipas has revealed he pondered quitting the sport due to debilitating back issues during the 2025 tennis year.

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.

Now ranked as the world's 36th best player following minimal competition since his second-round departure in New York in August, he stated continuous medical care is finally showing encouraging progress.

"My greatest anticipation is to observe how my body holds up under regular practice with regard to my injury," commented Tsitsipas.

"The biggest fear centered on if I could complete an encounter," the athlete continued, noting the injury had troubled him "over the last half a year or more."

"I would wonder, 'Am I able to play in another match without discomfort?'"

"It was genuinely scary after the defeat at the US Open [to Germany's Daniel Altmaier]. I was unable to move for 48 hours. That's when you begin to question your career's future."

He also reported satisfaction regarding the present treatment regimen after finishing an extended period of off-season preparation completely pain-free.

He is scheduled to compete for Greece at the team event, drawn against Team Japan led by Osaka and the British team captained by Raducanu. The tournament will be held in Perth and Sydney in early January, just before the season's first major.

"My main goal next season would be to not have concerns about finishing matches," he stated.

"It provides fantastic feedback realizing you had an off-season without pain – 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 complete faith that I can return to my previous level. I will try all means to achieve that."