Stefanos Tsitsipas Admits He Considered Retirement From Tennis After Persistent Injury Problems Last Season

After a dreadful 2025 season, Stefanos Tsitsipas has revealed that he considered retiring from tennis due to a painful back injury that plagued him throughout the year. The injury aided his poor form on the court, which saw him finish the year outside the Top 30 and without two consecutive wins since July.

The Greek star became one of the most popular players in 2021, after he stunned the tennis world by reaching a career-high of World No.1. That year, he showed he can challenge for the biggest competitions in the sport, reaching his first Grand Slam final at the French Open, but lost the title to Novak Djokovic in five sets.

His second Grand Slam final came at the Australian Open in 2023, where he lost to Djokovic again. He has reached four major semi-finals, including the finals, and won three Masters 1000 titles, all at the Monte Carlo Masters between 2019 (the year he made his debut at the ATP Finals) and 2024.

He had hopes of achieving that kind of brilliance on the court in 2025 after winning his first ATP 500 title at the Dubai Tennis Championships, but since then, he has not been able to reach the semi-finals of a tournament. He has struggled with a back injury that forced him to withdraw from several events last year, including the Vienna Open.

However, Tsitsipas is back on the court ahead of the 2026 season. He arrived in Perhaps, Australia with Greece for the United Cup, which kicks off on January 2. During a press conference at the tournament, he revealed that he considered retiring from tennis due to injuries and a dip in form last year:

I’m most excited to see how my actual training responds with regard to my back. My biggest concern was if I could finish a match. for the last six or eight months. I would ask, ‘Can I play another match without pain?’ I got terrified after the US Open loss [to Germany’s Daniel Altmaier]. I could not walk for two days. That’s when you reconsider the future of your career.

Tsitsipas’ worst Grand Slam run last season was at the Wimbledon Championships, where he crashed out in the first round due to retirement, which led to his split with Goran Ivanisevic. The Greek star then suffered a second-round exit at the US Open after losing to Daniel Altmaier. He hopes things change in 2026, with an eye on the Australian Open in Melbourne.

Stefanos Tsitsipas reveals what will be his biggest win in 2026

Stefanos Tsitsipas is set to kick off his 2026 campaign at the United Cup for Greece, who are in the same group as Japan and Great Britain. He’s expected to face Japan’s Shintaro Mochizuki and Britain’s Billy Harris. He will team up with former World No.3 Maria Sakkari at the tournament.

During the aforementioned press conference, he was asked what his biggest win would be in 2026. The 27-year-old noted that his biggest goal of the year would be finishing matches without worrying about injuries. He added that he hopes to play without pain while fighting for his place in the ATP rankings:

My biggest win for 2026 would be to not have to worry about finishing matches. It makes great feedback knowing you had a pre-season without pain – I hope it stays that way. I want to deliver for 2026 and the United Cup. I put in the work. The most important thing is a full belief that I can come back to where I was. I will try everything to do that.

After the United Cup, Tsitsipas will turn his attention to the Australian Open. It is a tournament that he has enjoyed in the past, having reached the final once and the semi-finals on four occasions. However, he has not performed well at the event in the last two editions.

Also Read: Former World No.1 Predicts Whether Elena Rybakina Will Win a Grand Slam in 2026

Subscribe to our Newsletter

Join our newsletter to receive exclusive updates and curated insights directly to your inbox.

Subscribe NOW