Greek Australian tennis star Thanasi Kokkinakis marked an emotional return to singles competition with a hard-fought first-round victory at the Adelaide International, overcoming injury concerns and a testing opponent in front of a home crowd.
Playing his first singles match since the 2025 Australian Open, Kokkinakis battled past Sebastian Korda 3-6, 6-3, 7-6(3) in a gripping contest lasting more than two and a half hours.
The win followed a difficult year that included major surgery on his pectoral muscle, and at times during the match the 29-year-old required medical attention for discomfort in his shoulder.
Visibly emotional after the match, Kokkinakis reflected on his long road back.
“Oh man. It’s been a rough 12 months, but this makes it all worth it,” he said. “I had my eye on this in Adelaide, and I knew I’d come to a packed crowd and everyone cheering. Thank you so much, I love it here.”
The Adelaide crowd played a key role in driving Kokkinakis through moments of uncertainty, particularly in the second set when physical concerns threatened to derail his comeback. He later admitted the decision to continue was not straightforward.
“I’ve worked so hard to even give myself a chance to get back on this court. Second set I hit a serve and it didn’t feel great. I was talking to my team every two minutes about whether I should stop… Even if I win, at what cost?” he said.
“I don’t know if I can go any further, but I love it here so I’m trying my best.”
The victory was Kokkinakis’ first against Korda after four previous losses and added another memorable moment to his history at Memorial Drive, where he claimed his maiden ATP title in 2022. He will now face fifth seed Valentin Vacherot in the second round.
Elsewhere in Adelaide, Maria Sakkari suffered a first-round exit, with the world No. 52 falling 7-6(7), 6-4 to No. 48 Daria Kasatkina, as the Greek star continues her search for the form that once took her to a career-high ranking of world No. 3.
Source: ATP
