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Stefanos Tsitsipas has revealed he thought about quitting the sport due to severe spinal pain throughout the 2025 tennis year.

At 27 years old, the player once ranked as high as third globally, was a finalist against Novak Djokovic in the finals of the 2021 French Open and the 2023 Australian Open.

Now ranked as the world's 36th best player following minimal competition since his early exit in New York this past summer, he stated continuous medical care is finally showing positive results.

"I'm most excited is to observe how my body responds during regular practice concerning my injury," said Tsitsipas.

"My primary worry was whether I was able to finish 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 another contest without discomfort?'"

"I became truly frightened following the loss in Flushing Meadows [to Germany's Daniel Altmaier]. I could not to walk for 48 hours. That's when you start reconsidering your career's future."

He also reported being content with his current recovery plan following the completion of five weeks of pre-season training completely pain-free.

He is scheduled to compete for Greece at the team event, drawn against Naomi Osaka's Japan and the Great Britain squad captained by Raducanu. The competition will be held in Perth and Sydney from 2 to 11 January, the week preceding the season's first major.

"My main goal next season is to not have concerns about finishing matches," he expressed.

"It provides fantastic feedback to know you completed a pre-season without pain – I wish for it to last. I want to deliver in 2026 and at the United Cup.

"The effort is invested. The crucial element is complete faith in my ability to get back to where I was. I will attempt everything to achieve that."