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The tennis professional disclosed he pondered quitting the sport because of severe spinal pain during the season.

At 27 years old, the player once ranked as high as third globally, finished as runner-up against Novak Djokovic at both the 2021 French Open alongside the 2023 Australian Open.

Currently placed 36th in the world after a limited schedule since his early exit in New York in August, he stated continuous medical care has begun yielding positive results.

"I'm most excited is to observe how my body holds up under regular practice concerning my injury," commented Tsitsipas.

"The biggest fear was whether I could complete a match," the athlete continued, explaining the pain plagued him "over the last half a year or more."

"I kept asking, 'Can I compete in another match without discomfort?'"

"I became truly frightened after the defeat at the US Open [to Germany's Daniel Altmaier]. I was unable to walk for two days. That is the moment begin to question the path ahead."

Tsitsipas further mentioned being content with his current recovery plan following the completion of an extended period of off-season preparation without any pain.

He is scheduled to compete for Greece at the team event, drawn against Naomi Osaka's Japan and the Great Britain squad captained by Raducanu. The competition will be held in Perth and Sydney from 2 to 11 January, just before the season's first major.

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

"It is incredibly encouraging to know you completed an off-season in good health – I hope it continues. I want to deliver during the upcoming season and for the team championship.

"The effort is invested. The crucial element is complete faith that I can return to my previous level. I will try all means to achieve that."