Shocking Stefanos Tsitsipas retirement comments highlight the depth of his despair
Stefanos Tsitsipas has opened up on the agonies he went through in his troubled 2025 season, with the Greek star revealing how close he came to quitting tennis for good.
Tsitsipas tumbled down the ATP Rankings as his results collapsed amid his fitness issues, with the player who has been a resident in the top 10 of the men’s game falling put of the elite list.
He has spoken about his challenges dealing with a back problem over the last year, but his honesty in his comments ahead of his first tournament of the season at the United Cup highlighted the depth of his problems.
“Seeing myself so seriously injured and in such a bad and gloomy physical and mental condition for so long, many things come to mind,” he said.
“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.
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“Tennis has given me everything; it would be very tough to have to give it up.”
He also reflected on the pain he went through last season, with the physical challenge he faced putting some context on his poor results.
“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,” he said.
“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.
“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.”
Stefanos has his father Apostolos back in his camp after a split for the duo last season and he believes the stability provided by such a familiar voice will help him as he looks to overcome his back issues.
“For now, everything is going well, I have no complaints,” he said when asked about his father’s presence in his team.
“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.
