Thanasi Kokkinakis marked his long-awaited return to singles competition on Monday with a gutsy three-set win over Sebastian Korda at the Adelaide International.
Kokkinakis, who has been ranked as high as 65th in the world and won the 2022 Australian Open doubles title, shrugged off some shoulder pain to produce a comeback 3-6, 6-3, 7-6(3), win over the American. It is a fairytale return for the Australian, who last played a match at the Australian Open 12 months ago when he lost in the second round to Jack Draper.
The 29-year-old has been sidelined from action after undergoing major pectoral reattachment surgery in a bid to resolve a long-time problem. Despite his lengthy absence, Kokkinakis displayed plenty of fighting spirit throughout his clash with Korda.
“Oh man. It’s been a rough 12 months, but this makes it all worth it,” he said during his on-court interview. “I had my eye on this in Adelaide, and I knew I’d come to a packed crowd and everyone cheering.”
However, it wasn’t all smooth sailing for Kokkinakis, who had to undergo treatment on his shoulder during the second set. There were discussions about if he should retire, but he managed to finish the match.
“It’s something that I feel like I’ve been dealing with my whole career it feels like,” he commented on his shoulder.
“I’ve worked so hard to even give myself a chance to get back on this court. Second set I hit a serve and it didn’t feel great. I was talking to my team every two minutes about whether I should stop. I felt like, ‘Even if I win, at what cost?’ I don’t know. I always try and win, especially here in Adelaide. “
Kokkinakis admits he is unsure if he will be able to continue playing in the tournament but he does have a day off tomorrow to rest. If he is fit to do so, his next clash will be against fifth seed Valentin Vacherot, who shot to fame last year after winning the Shanghai Masters.
“I don’t know if I can go any further, but I love it here so I’m trying my best.” He concluded.
