It could be forgiven to forget about the talented Thanasi Kokkinakis after his turbulent encounter with injury over the past 14 months.
Once tipped to be the future of Australian tennis, the 21-year-old has only managed to play one match (the Rio Olympics) since October 2015. Unlike his fellow countryman Nick Kyrgios, Kokkinakis’ absence from the tour has been one consisting of misfortune. Four months after reaching a career high of 69th on the Emirates rankings, a shoulder injury wrecked havoc on his tennis career. Undergoing surgery in December 2015, the Australian didn’t experience another taste of life on the tour until the Olympic Games, when he lost in the first round to Portugal’s Gastao Elias. His return to the tour was a muted one after a pastoral issue, followed by a groin problem ended his 2016 season.
The series of injuries could have steered Kokkinakis towards quitting the sport, but he is remaining defiant. He is set to return to action during the Australian swing of the tour with speculation mounting about an appearance at the Brisbane Open. His agent, Rick Montz, is confident that Kokkinakis will return to action stronger than before.
“He’s the healthiest he’s been to date,” Montz told The Sydney Morning Herald.
Standing away from the limelight, there is a sense of mystery surrounding what Kokkinakis’ plans are concerning his comeback. Montz has said that he could play in the Australian wild-card play-offs, which will take place in December. Another potential route could involved playing in some ITF events.
Kokkinakis will tackle the 2017 season with his former coach Todd Langman, who he split with in December 2015. Langman has been a heavyweight in the career of the Australian, working with him for a 12-year period prior to their separation last year. Set to replace Ben Matthias in the team, he will travel with the 21-year-old throughout the upcoming season.
Twice a junior grand slam finalist, Kokkinakis has won one Challenger title so far in his career (Bordeaux, 2015). At the 2015 French Open he produced his best senior performance in a major yet by reaching the third round.
He will return to the tour unranked due to his lack of presence. Nevertheless, he will be able to enter tournaments with the help of his protected ranking of 81st and wild cards.
