Thanasi Kokkinakis reveals he contemplated walking away from pro tennis several times as dealing with numerous serious injuries left him doubting himself and thinking if his goals were achievable.
After making the 2013 Australian Open boys’ singles final and losing there to Nick Kyrgios, the now 28-year-old also made a positive start to his pro career. In 2015, he won his first Challenger title in Bordeaux and also reached the world No. 69 position on the ATP rankings list.
At the time, it looked like the only way for Kokkinakis was up. But then, he was hit with a devastating shoulder injury and had surgery in late 2015. That sidelined him for the next year and a half and it ultimately took him four years to get that shoulder issue fully behind him.
Then, he also dealt with abdominal, groin and back injuries. Most recently, the Australian sustained a knee injury at Wimbledon and had to retire his second-round match.
As mentioned above, Kokkinakis had a Challenger title in his collection and was ranked as high as No. 69 in 2015. Nine years later, he has one ATP title – he won the 2022 Adelaide International – and he also achieved a new career-high ranking of No. 65 in late 2023.
If not for constant injuries and setbacks, the 28-year-old probably could have accomplished a lot. And that sometimes weighs on his mind.
“At that point, I thought it would be a smooth progression to the top 10 and competing for Grand Slam titles. There were some tournaments where I was like, ‘I think this is me done,’ because I just felt so far off the pace. I didn’t see how I could find my way through and make a living and I wasn’t enjoying it because I wasn’t competitive. It was as low as it gets,” Kokkinakis shared in Stellar’s Sunday edition.
Thanasi Kokkinakis© UTS Tour/Instagram – Fair Use
At this year’s Wimbledon. the world No. 77 started off with a notable win over Felix Auger-Aliassime. Against Pouille, he also made a great start but then he slipped on the grass – injured his knee – and retired while the Frenchman led 2-6 7-5 5-2.
“It was a tricky match. It started well but there was a weird kind of energy out there, it felt strange,” the 28-year-old recalled.
Kokkinakis once opened up about his dark period and battling anxiety
Following that shoulder injury, the Australian played just one match in 2016 and was limited to just a couple of tournaments in 2017. And after he experienced some pretty devastating and heartbreaking blows early in his career, the Australian’s mental health was very negatively impacted.
“Depression was a real thing. I’d walk into cafes and get really bad anxiety and I was, like, ‘I’ve got to get out of here.’ I would just be crying in my room for no reason. I would get anxiety just going for a walk when there was no one in the vicinity of 100 meters from me. It was weird and I couldn’t really explain it,” Kokkinakis said on the Ord neroli Speaking in 2021.
“Over time stuff changed and I just felt more comfortable and felt fine. Started going to the gym again, built myself up physically and that helped me. I don’t want to sound all doom and gloom here cause I’m good now. It’s a real dark place and I don’t want anyone to go through it because as bad as the physical pain is the mental pain is way, way worse.”
Kokkinakis now rooting for his friend Kyrgios
In the last two years, Kyrgios had surgeries to his knee and wrist and appeared in only one match during the 2023 and 2024 seasons. But after not playing for the past year and a half and not knowing if he would be able to resume his career, the 2022 Wimbledon finalist is set to come back at the Brisbane International.
Kokkinakis, who was in similar situation nearly a decade ago, is excited about his good friend returning and wishes him all the best.
“I think tennis has missed him. He has a different personality and he’s a different animal out there a little bit, with how he acts and the energy that he brings and I think that tennis has missed it for a couple of years. I think he’s been ready for a while, to get going,. Just waiting for the right time, until he’s fully sure. Starting in Brisbane he’s going to bring a lot of atmoshpere – I think the Australian public is gonna love seeing him again. Hopefully he stays healthy and we can play doubles as well, at some point,” Kokkinakis said of Kyrgios at the UTS event in London.
Tennis World USA