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Stefanos Tsitsipas has revealed he pondered quitting the sport because of debilitating spinal pain throughout the season.

At 27 years old, the player once ranked as high as third globally, finished as runner-up against Novak Djokovic in the finals of the 2021 French Open and the 2023 Australian Open.

Now ranked 36th in the world following minimal competition post a second-round departure in New York in August, Tsitsipas indicated continuous medical care is finally showing encouraging progress.

"My greatest anticipation is to observe how my training holds up under actual training with regard to my back," commented Tsitsipas.

"My primary worry centered on if I could complete an encounter," he added, noting the injury 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 following the loss at the US Open [to Germany's Daniel Altmaier]. I was unable to walk for two days. That is the moment start reconsidering the path ahead."

Tsitsipas further mentioned being content with his current recovery plan after finishing five weeks of pre-season training completely pain-free.

He is scheduled to compete for Greece at the team event, where they face Naomi Osaka's Japan and the Great Britain squad led by Emma Raducanu. The tournament takes place in Perth and Sydney from 2 to 11 January, just before the Australian Open.

"My main goal for 2026 is to not have concerns over completing bouts," he stated.

"It is incredibly encouraging realizing you had an off-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 most important thing is complete faith in my ability to get back to my previous level. I will attempt everything to achieve that."