Aussie Tennis Youngster Thanasi Kokkinakis ready for the 2020 season

·

Thanasi Kokkinakis is feeling confident as he prepares for the 2020 season.

“I feel good. This is the healthiest I’ve been in a while,” the 23-year-old told tennis.com.au during a break from his pre-season training.

“It’s the first time I’ve really had a pre-season with no restrictions. Hopefully it stays this way coming into the first few tournaments of the year. I think I’m in a really good spot coming into next year.”

The South Australian’s rising confidence is positive news after a challenging run with injuries. A pectoral injury impacted his 2019 season, the fourth consecutive year he’s been unable to play a full schedule.

Kokkinakis admits he became his “own biggest opponent” as he struggled to maintain momentum during the testing period. Frustrations grew as self-belief faded in his body’s ability to handle matches.

From the nine tournaments he entered in 2019, he was unable to complete four of them due to injury. This included the Australian Open, where he retired in the opening round after winning three qualifying matches, and the US Open, where he withdrew with shoulder soreness ahead of a second-round clash with eventual champion Rafael Nadal after posting his first Grand Slam main draw win since 2015.

Kokkinakis, currently ranked No.199, has not played since making an ATP Challenger final in the United States in September. After cutting his season short to rehabilitate his lingering pectoral concern, he contemplated contesting last week’s AO Play-off.

“I was close (to playing). If it was a best-of-three event or maybe only best-of-five for the last round, I probably would have played,” he said.

“But I thought I’d take the time for the rest of the year to sort my pec out. I didn’t want to rush that process and play best-of-five sets too soon. I tried to do the best thing body wise, not just looking short-term for the Aussie Open, because I know it’s a long year ahead.”

That long-term focus has Kokkinakis, who achieved a career-high ranking of No.69 as a teenager in 2015, eyeing a return to the world’s top 100 for the first time since February 2016.

He showed promising signs in 2019 that this target is achievable – winning 20 of the 26 matches he completed and defeating Australian Open 2019 semifinalist Lucas Pouille to make his second career ATP-level quarterfinal in Los Cabos in July.

“My biggest goal is to stay healthy. I think my ranking will take care of itself when I do that,” says Kokkinakis.

“Obviously I want to get back inside the top 100 as soon as possible and I think the quickest way to do that for me is just to stay healthy. I only played a few events last year, and a couple of them I pulled out of, and I’m (ranked) around 200.

“So if I can play more tournaments and do as well as I did, I think I’m going to have a pretty high ranking hopefully.”

Kokkinakis plans to make his competitive return at an ATP Challenger tournament in Canberra in January. His attention then turns to the Australian Open, where he will need to qualify or receive a wildcard to make a fifth main-draw appearance.

Sourced by: Tennis Australia

Advertisement

Share:

KEEP UP TO DATE WITH TGH

By subscribing you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.

Advertisement

Latest News

Acclaimed Greek film ‘Stelios’ to have Australian premiere in April

The Greek Festival of Sydney has announced the Australian premiere of the highly anticipated Greek film 'Stelios' on April 23, 2025.

Oakleigh Grammar inducts its 2025 student leaders

Oakleigh Grammar in Melbourne has inducted its 2025 School leaders from the Junior, Middle and Senior Schools.

SA Full Court ends dispute over teacher Dimosthenis Kourlas’ registration denial

The Supreme Court of South Australia’s Full Court has ruled on a dispute involving teaching graduate Dimosthenis Dillon Kourlas.

Peter V’landys urges Donald Trump to attend NRL Las Vegas showcase

NRL chief Peter V’landys has publicly invited US President Donald Trump to attend rugby league’s season-opening event in Las Vegas.

South Melbourne FC announces Directed as Major Sponsor in landmark partnership

Directed is the major sponsor of South Melbourne FC, aligning two organisations driven by innovation and a sense of community.

You May Also Like

‘I’ve never done a show like this’: Christos Dantis takes to the stage in Australia

Iconic Greek singer-songwriter Christos Dantis will take to stages in Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney this January. Read his interview here.

SA community stands behind Greek businesses as state counts first day in lockdown

As South Australia counts its first day of a seven-day lockdown the community has created a 'net of support' for individuals and businesses.

SAE Oceania hold their Annual General Meeting

SAE Oceania held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Sunday, November 27 at the premises of the Ilion Association 'Hermes' in the Sydney suburb of Bexley.