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The tennis professional disclosed he thought about quitting the sport because of debilitating spinal pain during the season.

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

Currently placed as the world's 36th best player following minimal competition since his early exit at the US Open in August, Tsitsipas indicated continuous medical care has begun yielding encouraging progress.

"My greatest anticipation is to observe how my body holds up under actual training concerning my injury," said Tsitsipas.

"My primary worry was whether I could complete a match," the athlete continued, noting the injury had troubled him "over the last six to eight months."

"I would wonder, 'Am I able to play another contest pain-free?'"

"I became truly frightened following the loss in Flushing Meadows [to Germany's Daniel Altmaier]. I was unable to move for two days. That's when you start reconsidering your career's future."

He also reported satisfaction regarding the present treatment regimen after finishing an extended period of pre-season training without any pain.

His next appearance for Greece in the United Cup, drawn against Naomi Osaka's Japan and the British team captained by Raducanu. The competition will be held across Australian cities from 2 to 11 January, just before the season's first major.

"The greatest victory next season is to stop worrying about finishing matches," he stated.

"It provides fantastic feedback to know you had a pre-season without pain – I hope it continues. I aim to perform during the upcoming season and for the team championship.

"I have done the work. The crucial element is total belief in my ability to get back to where I was. I will try all means to make it happen."