THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
SYDNEY, Australia — Mark Philippoussis Wednesday conceded his tennis career may be over as he prepared for a fourth operation on an injured knee.
"I’m not thinking about a comeback at the moment," Philippoussis said after injuring his right knee during an Australian Open wildcard playoff in Melbourne.
"I’m just going to be thinking about spending time with my family, spending time at home and then assessing things — you know, where life will lead me and what direction I want to take in life and whether I’ll be going again.
"And I’ll be honest. You’ve got to understand it’s more a mental battle getting back from injury after injury."
The two-time Davis Cup champion and twice a Grand Slam finalist faces a two-month recuperation after suffering cartilage damage in his right knee. A similar injury sidelined the 31-year-old Philippoussis for the entire 2007 ATP season and the former world No. 8 said he was reluctant to attempt another comeback.
"I want to have that surgery, and then I just don’t want to be getting up sore and going to the gym and battling day after day," he said.
Philippoussis, considered one of the best players of his generation not to have won a Grand Slam title, said he was prepared to face retirement.
"That’s life," he said. "Of course, I’m going to be sad. But sooner or later, you know it’s going to end and, if it does, I’ve had amazing memories and two of the biggest memories without a doubt have been the two Davis Cup wins."
Philippoussis lost to Pat Rafter in an all-Australian U.S. Open final in 1998 and to Roger Federer in the 2003 Wimbledon final.
He won 11 ATP titles, most recently at Newport in July 2006.