PERTH: Stefanos Tsitsipas said on Thursday he seriously considered retiring from tennis in the depths of a struggle with serious back pain during much of the 2025 season.

But the former world number three, now ranked 36th after playing just two Davis Cup matches since a second-round exit at the US Open, said his ongoing medical treatment appea­red to be paying dividends.

“I’m most excited to see how my actual training responds with regard to my back,” the 27-year-old said as he prepared to open his 2026 campaign for Greece at the mixed-teams United Cup in Perth, Australia.

“My biggest concern was if I could finish a match,” added the 2023 Australian Open finalist, who said the injury haunted him “for the last six or eight months”.

“I would ask: ‘Can I play another match without pain?’ I got really scared 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 said that after various medical consultations he was now satisfied with his current care plan.

“My biggest win for 2026 would be to not have to worry about finishing mat­c­hes,” he said, adding that he completed five weeks of off-season training without pain. “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 full belief that I can come back to where I was. I will try everything to do that.”

Greece have become regulars in the four-year history of the United Cup, played in Perth and Sydney, with fellow comeback hopeful Maria Sak­kari, also a former world number three, joining Tsitsipas in the team.

“We are here again, with a good team and great spirit. We are prepared for war — we are Greek. We’re going big,” Tsitsipas said.

Greece are grouped with Naomi Osaka’s Japan and the Emma Raducanu-led Britain.

Published in Dawn, January 2nd, 2026