Kokkinakis, between the euphoria and pain in his return: "Sometimes I wonder at what cost I play tennis"

Carlos Navarro | 12 Jan 2026 | 17.03

Kokkinakis returned to the circuit with an exciting home victory. Source: Getty

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The story of Thanasi Kokkinakis is written with the word resilience on its cover. Few tennis players have been so battered by injuries since the beginning of their sports career, with constant pauses and victories fading amidst operations, recoveries, and tears. The latest injury pushed the Australian to his limit, forcing him to undergo almost unprecedented surgery, treating the muscle that connects the pectoral to the shoulder using an Achilles tendon allograft from a deceased person. Sometimes reality hits harder than anyone else.

But none of that stopped Thanasi in his return to singles competition. It couldn't be anywhere else but at home, at the ATP Adelaide 2026, an event where he won his first and only ATP crown and where he stands as the undisputed local idol. He faced Sebastian Korda and, after falling a set behind, the comeback seemed like a nightmare: he started feeling pain in his right shoulder... but he battled through it to come back and achieve a thrilling victory in the tiebreak of the third set. The celebration, deserving of exuberance, was subdued: Kokkinakis himself acknowledges in a press conference that physical problems could limit his return, and he does not expect good news when he gets out of bed tomorrow.

Kokkinakis opens up about the hell he lived through and the rollercoaster that his return to competition was; he also reflects on the toll it takes on his body to compete again

- Thanasi reflects on a euphoric victory, but clouded by shoulder issues

"My tennis kept getting better, I felt more and more confident from the baseline, but after the first set, I felt like everything was moving too fast for me, the result of not playing for a long time. The comfort I felt from the baseline was the key to the victory. My right arm has been plagued by injuries my whole career. There are many what ifs, especially in my mind, but they didn't make me suffer this time. I know that minor discomfort is normal, but I feel like what I have experienced is beyond logic."

Mentally, it's very challenging. I spent the whole year rehabilitating, trying to get everything right. I went under the knife. Today's pain has been different from last year's. I'll see how I wake up tomorrow. It sucks. In a way, it ruins the victory, for sure. I know my tennis is in a good place. I've been training great for a while now: I just need my arm and shoulder to cooperate, and I'm doing everything possible for that to happen. I don't think it's time to celebrate just yet; it's my first match in twelve months, and I'm trying to build good form, but it's tough, these aches dampen the victory. I need my arm to keep up with my tennis. Normally I'd be celebrating, shouting euphorically after a match like that, but I felt like I was on autopilot. Now all my focus will be on how I feel physically."

- Differences between the pain he felt today and what led him to surgery last year

"Last year, I had surgery on the pectoral to try to fix it. Today it was more of a muscular pain, located in my shoulder. I also had shoulder surgery, but it was probably caused by the injury I had in the pectoral earlier in the year. There are many minor discomforts, but I'm happy to progress and give myself a new chance. I need to go through these kinds of matches if I want a shot at the Australian Open."

- Did he consider retiring in the second set?

"Yes, I had conversations with my team every time I approached them. There came a point where I thought: 'At what cost am I playing tennis?' Even if I win this match... so what? I went under the knife to be able to endure several matches and progress in a tournament. I guess I can't figure out if I'm okay until I go through that and see how I feel. I know this sport is not over for me yet. I'm going to keep working. After not playing for twelve months, I'm happy, but yes, I was close to retiring today."

- Mentally, an incredible victory... and very emotional words to stay hopeful for the future

"Today has been an incredible mental effort. Many times I thought about stopping, thought I'd do more harm to myself if I kept playing... but stopping is very complicated. Perhaps it would be healthiest to stop, for the sake of my body, but when you play the home tournament, the only title I've won individually, it's very hard to say: 'Okay, I'll stop here.' I wanted to go all the way, see what I was capable of. I know what I'm going to face tomorrow, and the idea doesn't appeal to me at all. I'm going to do everything possible in the next 48 hours to be able to play on Wednesday; all my focus will be on recovery. I hope anti-inflammatories work wonders.

I'm trying. I keep trying. There's one thing I truly believe, especially in Australia, and that's that I always leave everything on the court. I empty my tank completely. Perhaps that has harmed my body in the past, but it's the only thing that allows me to sleep more peacefully each night because I know that I have literally always given everything I could. Facing each match with doubts is very tough, but I always give my all. I know many friends and family will come to see me, and they expect my best tennis, so maybe I try to lower their expectations, but I will always give my utmost effort. I hope people appreciate that."

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Kokkinakis, entre la euforia y el dolor en su vuelta: "A veces me pregunto a qué coste juego al tenis"

Thanasi Kokkinakis