Stefanos Tsitsipas in high spirits after elbow surgery, shares photo of himself in hospital reading The Comfort Book

Stefanos Tsitsipas recently underwent minor surgery on an elbow problem that's been troubling him over the past few months. But the Greek has remained in high spirits throughout.

Tsitsipas confirmed on social media that his surgery was successful and projected a positive outlook on his future.

"With each struggle we get an opportunity to create our own unique story. Things often get tougher before they get easier," Tsitsipas said in a Facebook post referring to his elbow injury and the surgery that followed.

"To all the fans, thank you for your continuous support and encouragement. Focused on a healthier and happier future," he added.

The Greek also took to Twitter to share some inspirational quotes from Matt Haig's The Comfort Book. Tsitsipas said he was enjoying listening to "quiet patches", which he compared to the "earth's heartbeat."

"I used to feel quiet patches felt dead. Now they feel more alive. Like leaning over and listening to the earth's heartbeat," he wrote on Twitter.

The World No. 4 has always enjoyed sharing thought-provoking and philosophical messages with his fans, and that's continued during his time away from the court.

Weeks leading up to Stefanos Tsitsipas' surgery and his future plans

Nitto ATP World Tour Finals - Day Two

Stefanos Tsitsipas was forced to withdraw midway through his last two tournaments because of elbow problems. The Greek first pulled out of his opening match at the the 2021 Paris Masters. Tsitsipas did not provide too many details about his injury at the time, but mentioned that he was prioritizing the ATP Finals.

"I have not retired once in my life, and it was something I had to do today. I'm trying to be cautious for the next tournament [2021 ATP Finals], which is the most important one for me. I have had an issue there [elbow] for quite a while now," Tsitsipas said.

Unfortunately for Tsitsipas, the situation did not improve in Turin, where he suffered a straight-sets defeat at the hands of Andrey Rublev in his first round-robin match. The Greek later withdrew from the tournament, saying the pain had become too much to deal with.

"I have been silently competing for a few tournaments now and coping with the injury, but at a certain point I need to prioritize my health to have longevity in the sport that is very near to my heart."

A few days later, the Greek went under the knife. Tsitsipas is expected to begin his preparations for the 2022 season in Dubai next month before shifting his focus to the Australian Open in Melbourne.

"Next stop, pre-season in Dubai two weeks from now and then looking forwards to Australia," Tsitsipas said.