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The tennis professional disclosed he pondered ending his career because of severe spinal pain throughout the season.

The 27-year-old, who has reached a career-high ranking of world number three, was a finalist against Novak Djokovic in the finals of the 2021 French Open and the 2023 Australian Open.

Now ranked 36th in the world after a limited schedule post a early exit at the US Open this past summer, Tsitsipas indicated continuous medical care has begun yielding positive results.

"My greatest anticipation lies in seeing how my training responds during actual training with regard to my back," commented Tsitsipas.

"The biggest fear was whether I could complete an encounter," he added, noting the injury plagued him "for the past half a year or more."

"I kept asking, 'Can I compete in another match pain-free?'"

"I became truly frightened after the defeat in Flushing Meadows [to Germany's Daniel Altmaier]. I could not to walk for two days. That is the moment begin to question your career's future."

Tsitsipas further mentioned satisfaction regarding his current recovery plan following the completion of five weeks of pre-season training without any pain.

His next appearance for Greece in the United Cup, where they face Team Japan led by Osaka and the Great Britain squad led by Emma Raducanu. The competition will be held in Perth and Sydney from 2 to 11 January, the week preceding the season's first major.

"My main goal next season would be to stop worrying about finishing matches," he expressed.

"It is incredibly encouraging to know you had a pre-season without pain – I wish for it to last. I aim to perform during the upcoming season and for the United Cup.

"The effort is invested. The most important thing is total belief in my ability to get back to my previous level. I will attempt everything to achieve that."