When Yianni Diakomihalis walked into the U.S. Open this year, he wasn’t just returning to competition. The American wrestling star was reasserting his identity. Behind the calm precision he displayed on the mat, behind every calculated shot and clinical takedown against seasoned veteran James Green, was a body that had been through nine surgeries and a mind that had wrestled with far more than opponents. Yianni wasn’t chasing redemption. He was proving that he still belongs in the arena, not just physically but mentally and emotionally.

And yet, for all the grit that fuels his performances, there were moments behind the curtain where the path forward felt less certain. As the wrestling world turns its attention to his highly anticipated Final X clash with P.J. Duke, a matchup layered with history and friendship, Yianni has opened up about something deeper than any takedown or title: whether, after all the setbacks, he ever considered walking away from the sport entirely.

FloWrestling took to X, highlighting, “Did Yianni think about hanging them up or stepping away from the sport?!?” And honestly, who could blame him if he did? Nine surgeries by age 25, including a torn labrum that forced him to forfeit a key match at the 2024 Pan Am Qualifier. Those aren’t just battle scars; they’re career-altering crossroads.

Yianni couldn’t finish match two against Nick Lee, a familiar foe from his collegiate days, and watched as his Olympic dream slipped out of reach once again. With every procedure, every rehab, and every “maybe next time,” the question of stepping away loomed larger. That’s when he finally said it out loud. “You know, I made, I had metal, I kind of felt like I made the team in 21, made the team in 22. I kind of like broke through, right?”

Yianni further mentioned how his loss to Nick Lee struck him. He continued, ” And then, and then I lost to Nick Lee, whom I’d beaten in college. And you know, I kind of thought I was going this way, and then it felt like I was going this way, right? I don’t make the Olympic team, and then I tear my labrum, right? And I’m like, man, I keep getting hurt. I can’t freaking make weight the right way. Like maybe something is going on where I need to step away and come back.”

This wasn’t just physical exhaustion. The guy who once competed through an entire tournament on a torn ACL was, for the first time, genuinely questioning his future on the mat. But as it turns out, doubts are part of the process, and so is defying them. “You know, you see guys, they take time off and come back, but it’s frustrating, right? Going a year plus of not really wrestling a match that you’re proud of.”

Yianni’s return at the 2025 U.S. Open wasn’t just a comeback. It was a statement. An 8-2 thrashing of James Green later, and suddenly the narrative shifted. Nine surgeries, one repaired labrum, and zero hesitation! Yianni Diakomihalis had arrived all over again.

From torn ACLs to World Team ambitions: Yianni Diakomihalis is coming for more

In September, Yianni Diakomihalis shared a dose of his trademark humor amidst yet another setback, “Tomorrow I’ll be getting my labrum repaired, making it my 9th surgery in the last 7.5 years. Pretty soon, I’m going to run out of body parts to hurt, and then you’re all in big trouble.” That kind of resilience has always defined Yianni. Not just his ability to bounce back, but to do it with fire still burning.

Six months later, that fire is ablaze. After a long recovery, Yianni is officially back, and with the world team spot in sight, he’s not returning just to compete. He’s returning to conquer. His toughness isn’t new. As a freshman in 2018, Yianni tore his ACL during his NCAA quarterfinal bout against Dean Heil but wrestled through the pain, beating Heil and two more opponents to win the 141-pound NCAA title.

That included a last-second four-point cradle in the final against Bryce Meredith. Only after the tournament did the full extent of the injury become clear. But that moment was just the beginning. What followed over the years! Injuries, setbacks, and surgeries only solidified Yianni’s place as more than just a competitor; he’s become a symbol of relentless grit. And it’s not just the body he’s been working on. It’s the mind, too.

After being dominated by a right-hand underhook in the 2022 World Final, Yianni took ownership. “I spent the whole match getting underhooked,” he said. So he and his team drilled that pummeling sequence relentlessly. “I hit it a little in my senior year in college,” he added, referring to a moment where instinct and repetition fused perfectly. That’s the kind of detail and self-awareness that elevates elite wrestlers into legends, and in his return bout against James Green, that’s exactly what Yianni looked like.