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Stefanos Tsitsipas has revealed he thought about ending his career because of severe back issues throughout the season.

At 27 years old, the player once ranked as high as third globally, was a finalist to Novak Djokovic at both the 2021 French Open and the 2023 Australian Open.

Now ranked as the world's 36th best player following minimal competition post a second-round departure at the US Open this past summer, Tsitsipas indicated continuous medical care has begun yielding encouraging progress.

"I'm most excited lies in seeing how my training holds up under actual training with regard to my injury," said Tsitsipas.

"The biggest fear was whether I was able to finish a match," he added, explaining the pain had troubled him "over the last six to eight months."

"I would wonder, 'Am I able to play another contest without discomfort?'"

"I became truly frightened following the loss in Flushing Meadows [to Germany's Daniel Altmaier]. I could not to walk for two days. That's when you start reconsidering the path ahead."

He also reported being content with the present treatment regimen following the completion of five weeks of off-season preparation without any pain.

He is scheduled to compete with the Greek team at the team event, drawn against Team Japan led by Osaka and the British team captained by Raducanu. The tournament will be held in Perth and Sydney from 2 to 11 January, the week preceding the Australian Open.

"The greatest victory next season is to not have concerns about finishing matches," he stated.

"It is incredibly encouraging realizing you had an off-season without pain – I hope it continues. I want to deliver during the upcoming season and for the team championship.

"I have done the work. The most important thing is complete faith in my ability to get back to my previous level. I will attempt everything to achieve that."