Thanasi Kokkinakis, after a year sidelined by injury and groundbreaking surgery, secured a thrilling doubles victory with Nick Kyrgios at the Brisbane International. His emotional response highlighted the physical and mental battles of his recovery and the challenges he has faced throughout his career.
Thanasi Kokkinakis ’s tears after a doubles match told the story as the injury-plagued Australian won in his latest and most dramatic return to the sport alongside old mate Nick Kyrgios . The 29-year-old hadn’t played in almost a year, after groundbreaking pectoral surgery that involved attaching a donor’s Achilles tendon to his shoulder.
Despite early rust, Kokkinakis soon clicked, with he and Kyrgios brilliant at times in a 5-7 6-4 10-8 defeat of elite doubles specialists Matt Ebden and Rajeev Ram at the Brisbane International on Sunday night. Kyrgios and Kokkinakis won the Australian Open doubles title together in 2022 but have endured injury struggles since, with the latter not playing since the pair’s withdrawal from the same event last January. “I’ve never really teared up after a doubles match,” Kokkinakis said of the moment he choked up in the on-court interview after their enthralling win. “But all I’ve gone through in the last 12 months .. a lot of surgeons, doctors.” Kokkinakis boasts a win over Roger Federer and has threatened many times to make grand slam runs, only for injury to intervene and keep him to a career-high of 65 in the world. “I said I didn’t want to keep doing what I was doing,” he said. “Play one match, maybe have a big win, and then my arm was shot. “I said, ‘I don’t care if I don’t play again, because I’m not doing that again’. “It was almost like a tease of what I can do, then I just have to pull out.” He encountered puzzled looks and hesitation in meeting with doctors and surgeons around the world, including Rafael Nadal’s specialist, before the decision was made to attach “a dead man’s achilles” to his shoulder. “There’s been days it’s been OK and others where I’ve thought, ‘There’s no chance I’m playing again’,” he said of his lonely, unique rehabilitation effort. “I don’t know what my future holds, but I’ve done everything I can do give myself a chance.” Kokkinakis said he was yet to hit top gear on serve but had surprised himself with his level of play, rifling forehand winners and producing a clutch reflex volley and a winning smash on match point to end the 92-minute tussle. He will return to singles at the Adelaide International next week while Kyrgios - back after three injury-hit years of his own - will play singles on Tuesday against Aleksandar Kovacevic. “I understand how emotional it can be. People underestimate how much work goes into it,” Kyrgios said of the pair’s rehabilitation efforts. “We were really surprised with our level. It’s been a year ... playing two of probably the best doubles players out there. “Who knows what this year could look like for us, doubles wise?”
Tennis Thanasi Kokkinakis Nick Kyrgios Injury Comeback
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