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The tennis professional disclosed he thought about quitting the sport because of severe spinal pain during 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 as the world's 36th best player following minimal competition post a early exit at the US Open in August, Tsitsipas indicated continuous medical care has begun yielding encouraging progress.

"I'm most excited lies in seeing how my body responds during regular practice concerning my back," commented Tsitsipas.

"My primary worry centered on if I was able to finish an encounter," the athlete continued, explaining the pain plagued him "over the last half a year or more."

"I would wonder, 'Can I compete another contest pain-free?'"

"I became truly frightened following the loss at the US Open [to Germany's Daniel Altmaier]. I was unable to walk for 48 hours. That is the moment begin to question your career's future."

Tsitsipas further mentioned being content with 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, drawn against Team Japan led by Osaka and the British team led by Emma Raducanu. The tournament will be held across Australian cities in early January, the week preceding the season's first major.

"The greatest victory for 2026 is to not have concerns over completing bouts," he expressed.

"It is incredibly encouraging to know you completed an off-season in good health – I hope it continues. I aim to perform during the upcoming season and for the team championship.

"I have done the work. The most important thing is total belief in my ability to get back to where I was. I will attempt everything to achieve that."