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The tennis professional disclosed he pondered quitting the sport because of debilitating back issues throughout the season.

The 27-year-old, who has reached a career-high ranking of world number three, was a finalist to Novak Djokovic at both the 2021 French Open alongside the 2023 Australian Open.

Now ranked as the world's 36th best player following minimal competition since his early exit 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 training holds up under regular practice with regard to my back," commented Tsitsipas.

"The biggest fear was whether I could complete a match," he added, explaining the pain had troubled him "for the past six to eight months."

"I kept asking, 'Am I able to play another contest pain-free?'"

"I became truly frightened after the defeat in Flushing Meadows [to Germany's Daniel Altmaier]. I was unable to walk for two days. That is the moment start reconsidering your career's future."

He also reported being content with his current recovery plan after finishing five weeks of off-season preparation without any pain.

He is scheduled to compete with the Greek team in the United Cup, drawn against Team Japan led by Osaka and the British team led by Emma Raducanu. The tournament will be held in Perth and Sydney in early January, just before the season's first major.

"The greatest victory next season would be 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 aim to perform in 2026 and at the United Cup.

"The effort is invested. The most important thing is complete faith that I can return to where I was. I will attempt everything to achieve that."