Thanasi Kokkinakis: 'I feel great and can't wait to hit the court again'

Thanasi Kokkinakis is ready to make a fresh start at the season's first Major after skipping the entire 2020 season due to illness, not playing since Tiburon Challenger in September 2019. The Adelaide native lost the Australian Open junior final to Nick Kyrgios in 2013 and made the senior debut 12 months later, losing to Rafael Nadal in the second round. Kokkinakis reached the third round at Roland Garros 2015 and made significant steps towards the top before injuries halted his progress. Thanasi underwent right shoulder surgery at the end of that season and stayed away from the court until May 2017. Thanasi also dealt with an abdominal strain that made his comeback even more difficult. Following a slow return that spring, Kokkinakis reached the first ATP final in Los Cabos in August, hoping for more good results in the future but failing to remain healthy and dropping out from the top-200 ahead of the new season.

Thanasi Kokkinakis is ready for a fresh start in Melbourne.

Motivated to leave injuries and a dark period behind him, Thanasi defeated Roger Federer in Miami 2018 to become the lowest-ranked player who toppled the world no. 1 in 15 years and won two more Challenger titles in the rest of the year. Kokkinakis retired at the Australian Open in 2019 and couldn't play much after that, reaching the Tiburon Challenger final in September and not competing ever since. Thanasi had to skip the entire 2020 due to glandular fever, leaving setbacks behind him and feeling ready to compete again at the Australian Open in February after earning the main draw wild card.

"I'm super stoked; it's going to be unreal to be back out there with that crowd, and hopefully, the energy is the same as it has been before. I've tried to get a couple of matches in, but I feel excellent, really fit and ready to compete. Mark Philippoussis is a legend; he has been good to me for years as a bit of a mentor or just to hit some balls and talk with me. He's just a really good guy that's liked to help me out when he can," Thanasi Kokkinakis said.

from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/3t4xiRs