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Stefanos Tsitsipas has revealed he pondered ending his career due to severe back issues during the season.

The 27-year-old, who has reached a career-high ranking of world number three, finished as runner-up against Novak Djokovic in the finals of the 2021 French Open alongside the 2023 Australian Open.

Now ranked 36th in the world after a limited schedule post a second-round departure at the US Open in August, Tsitsipas indicated that ongoing treatment has begun yielding encouraging progress.

"I'm most excited lies in seeing how my body holds up under actual training with regard to my back," said Tsitsipas.

"The biggest fear centered on if I could complete a match," he added, 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 following the loss in Flushing Meadows [to Germany's Daniel Altmaier]. I could not to walk for 48 hours. That's when you begin to question your career's future."

He also reported satisfaction regarding his current recovery plan after finishing an extended period of pre-season training without any pain.

His next appearance for Greece in the United Cup, where they face Team Japan led by Osaka and the British team led by Emma Raducanu. The competition will be held in Perth and Sydney from 2 to 11 January, just before the Australian Open.

"The greatest victory for 2026 is to stop worrying over completing bouts," he stated.

"It is incredibly encouraging realizing you had an off-season in good health – I hope it continues. I aim to perform in 2026 and at the team championship.

"The effort is invested. The most important thing is total belief in my ability to get back to where I was. I will attempt everything to make it happen."