Australian tennis star Thanasi Kokkinakis has secured a remarkable and emotionally charged first-round victory at the Adelaide International, but the triumph was immediately overshadowed by a painful new injury setback.
A Victory Marred by Fresh Agony
Playing his first singles match in 362 days, Kokkinakis defeated American Sebastian Korda 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7-3) in front of a home crowd on Monday night. However, the 29-year-old's comeback was brutally interrupted by a sharp shoulder pain that flared midway through the second set.
"I know what tomorrow is looking like for me — and I don't love it," a candid Kokkinakis admitted after the match. He is now relying on anti-inflammatories, hoping they "work some wonders" ahead of a potential second-round match on Wednesday.
The Daunting Comeback from Unique Surgery
The context of this latest injury makes Kokkinakis's effort even more extraordinary. The Adelaide native was returning from an incredibly rare surgical procedure that no other tennis professional has undergone. Surgeons used a deceased donor's Achilles tendon to repair a tear between his right pectoral muscle and shoulder.
"I had the surgery so I could back-up matches and go through a tournament," Kokkinakis explained. "But I'll never really find out until I go through a long match and see where I'm at after." He clarified that this new pain, located in his shoulder, is different from the pectoral issues that originally plagued his career.
The Mental Battle Over Physical Pain
Kokkinakis revealed the match became a supreme test of willpower. "It was a mental effort, for sure," he said. "There was a lot of times I thought about stopping, and am I going to do more damage if I keep playing?"
He conceded that if this weren't his home tournament—where he won his only ATP singles title—he likely wouldn't have taken to the court at all. "I probably wouldn't have played to start with," Kokkinakis stated, having questioned the cost with his team beforehand.
Pride in the Effort, Concern for the Future
Despite bracing for a physically restless night, Kokkinakis said he would find some mental peace. "One thing that I feel like I've always given, especially playing in Australia more than anything, is just whatever I have, I'm emptying the tank," he said.
"Maybe it has hurt my body in the past. But that's the only thing, when I go to bed at night I can kind of sleep a bit easier knowing I literally have tried and given everything I can." The immediate future, however, remains uncertain as he assesses his fitness for the next challenge.
