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The tennis professional disclosed he pondered ending his career because of severe back issues during the season.

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

Currently placed 36th in the world following minimal competition since his early exit in New York this past summer, Tsitsipas indicated continuous medical care has begun yielding encouraging progress.

"I'm most excited is to observe how my training holds up under actual training concerning my back," commented Tsitsipas.

"My primary worry centered on if I could complete an encounter," he added, noting the injury had troubled him "over the last six to eight months."

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

"It was genuinely scary after the defeat at the US Open [to Germany's Daniel Altmaier]. I could not to move for 48 hours. That's when you begin to question the path ahead."

He also reported being content with his current recovery plan following the completion of five weeks of off-season preparation completely pain-free.

He is scheduled to compete for Greece at the team event, where they face Team Japan led by Osaka and the Great Britain squad captained by Raducanu. The competition will be held in Perth and Sydney in early January, just before the season's first major.

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

"It is incredibly encouraging realizing you had a pre-season without pain – I hope it continues. I aim to perform during the upcoming season and for the team championship.

"The effort is invested. The crucial element is complete faith in my ability to get back to my previous level. I will try all means to make it happen."