After recently returning to the tour from a shoulder injury, Thanassi Kokkinakis has been forced to withdraw from next week’s US Open due to a pulled pectoral muscle.
The former top 100 player has only been able to play one tournament this season after undergoing a shoulder operation in December. Kokkinakis made his comeback to the tour at the Rio Olympic Games where he was knocked out in the first round by Portugal’s Joao Sousa. Rio was his first competitive tournament since October last year.
In his latest setback, Kokkinakis pulled his pectoral muscle during a training session according to the Sydney Morning Herald. His agent, Rick Montz, has said that the 20-year-old is likely to be out of action for ‘a couple of weeks’ in order to recover from the latest injury.
“It’s just bad luck,” Montz told smh.com.au.
“He finally got back on court after the stomach bug, he practised two hours in the morning, and then the second hit he was hitting some high forehands and he kind of felt it just a little bit. It’s worse than a strain, so it’s going to take a couple of weeks, probably, of not hitting, for that to heal.”
Due to the recovery time, it is uncertain if Kokkinakis will be fit in time for Australia’s crucial Davis Cup tie. The Australian team will play Slovakia at the Sydney Olympic Park Tennis Centre in their world group play-off tie.
“I would be very surprised if he were able to play,” Montz said about Kokkinakis’ Davis Cup participation.
“However, knowing Thanasi, if there’s a way to play for Australia, the will’s there, and he’s proven that.”
Kokkinakis hasn’t played a Davis Cup match since his country’s semifinal loss to Great Britain last year. He has only played in four ties during his young career, achieving a win-loss of 2-3 in the competition.
After missing so much of the tour, Kokkinakis has fallen down the world rankings to 831st in the world. If he does miss the Davis Cup, it is unclear as to when or where the rising star of Australian tennis will return to action.
