Tsitsipas: "I Couldn't Walk for Two Days After the US Open, I Considered Quitting Tennis"

Diego Jiménez Rubio | 1 Jan 2026 | 11.19

Stefanos Tsitsipas assesses his new reality in United Cup 2026. Photo: gettyimages

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Hit rock bottom. That's how Stefanos Tsitsipas appeared during a disastrous 2025 for his interests. Tennis became a torture and a reflection of his personal and health problems, with results and attitudes far from what is expected of a professional of his caliber. Present at the United Cup 2026, he is facing the new season with renewed hopes and the hope of having left his serious back injury behind.

Judged summarily, ridiculed by fans eager to revel in his misfortune and lacking any compass to get him out of that bottomless pit. Stefanos Tsitsipas wandered through the past season making bad decisions, incurring negative attitudes on the court, and competing despite his serious back problems, risking aggravation and trivializing people's perception of the extent of his injury. He wants to leave all that behind and take on 2026 as a year of redemption, which will have its first episode in the United Cup 2026.

This is how Tsitsipas explained his approach to 2026 after the serious problems of the past year

Positive feelings in the preseason

"In the last three or four tournaments of the past season, I could hardly stand, so it was necessary to find a solution, something that would really help me recover. I have taken all imaginable and necessary steps to do so, and it is a great satisfaction for me to tell you that I have completed the preseason without pain or discomfort. I just hope this can be maintained throughout the year," he commented.

Nightmare lived with his back problem

"For six or eight months, my main concern when stepping onto the court to compete was knowing if I could finish the match and, if I won, if I would be ready to play the next match. I was very scared after the US Open because I couldn't walk for two days. That made me rethink my future. I visited one of the world's most prestigious sports doctors, and I just hope that the good feelings I have continue the same way," he analyzed.

Return of his father, Apostolos Tsitsipas, to his team

"For now, everything is going well, I have no complaints. He is communicating much better with me than before. It is not easy to work with family members, which is why I have also incorporated an outside person to help us in our relationship. It is key to be faithful and honest with ourselves. The problems we have had have come from the strong personalities we both have and the need to express our opinions. We are managing things better, we had misunderstandings, and I acknowledge my mistakes, with silly things I should not have done," affirmed the Greek.

How close he came to retiring from professional tennis

"Seeing myself so seriously injured and in such a bad and gloomy physical and mental condition for so long, many things come to mind. It was impossible not to think about what my life would be like in the future if I continued like this. There were moments when I asked myself why I was doing this, why I needed to feel so much pain," said Stefanos Tsitsipas, who does not rule out taking drastic measures if problems return.

"I prefer to leave tennis if I cannot enjoy it without pain than to be constantly struggling with serious health problems. I want to be happy. I suppose if I cannot compete, I will have to quit, but my dream would be to continue competing for another ten years. Tennis has given me everything; it would be very tough to have to give it up," analyzed the Greek, who will compete in the United Cup 2026, a true test bench for his back.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Tsitsipas: "Estuve dos días sin poder andar tras el US Open, me planteé dejar el tenis"