Injury-plagued star to return at Brisbane International with Thanasi Kokkinakis

Like Kyrgios, Kokkinakis has struggled with injuries throughout his career. It will be his first game since a self-confessed “risky” operation in February to correct a debilitating chest injury in which a surgeon transplanted an Achilles tendon taken from a deceased person to the tennis player’s right shoulder.

Kokkinakis will only play doubles in Brisbane but hopes to return to his hometown of Adelaide a week later for singles as a test ahead of the Australian Open.

After playing under injury pressure and losing in the first round at this year’s Open, Kyrgios warned he might never play at Melbourne Park again after suffering an abdominal strain on the eve of the tournament.

“Realistically, I probably can’t see myself playing singles here again,” Kyrgios said at the time.

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“I tried to do the best I could with the situation I was in physically. [It is] It was heartbreaking because I wanted to play well. I feel like my level is there. Frankly, the timing of abdominal stretching is not ideal. But it is what it is.”

But Kyrgios announced his comeback bid last month, aiming to qualify for an 11th Australian Open main draw, and revealed his body is in a much better place after a scare since his career-best 2022 season.

The player, who said “I don’t like tennis very much” ten years ago, is trying to squeeze out what’s left of his professional career.

Evidence over the last three years suggests that Kyrgios’ portfolio off the court is much more positive than it was with the racquet in hand. But one thing’s for sure: He’ll be attracting attention with every move he makes this summer, so he’ll never be short of wildcards.

Although 29-year-old Kokkinakis does not have the same tennis success as Kyrgios, whom he faced in the Australian Open men’s final 12 years ago, he maintains his commercial appeal.

He admits that he struggled with his life on tour and that major injuries mid-career caused sponsors to abandon him in droves, plus being away from home was difficult. Kokkinakis’ brand has seen a resurgence since he said he was wearing a “$6 Kmart special” in 2021.

Kokkinakis feared retiring unless he underwent revolutionary surgery this year, but he doesn’t expect to be at his best until mid-year.

“No tennis player has achieved this” [and] a few surgeons didn’t want to do it, but I felt like I had to take my chances and bite the bullet if I wanted to have a chance at the rest of my career,” Kokkinakis told Channel Nine’s Today.

“This will be my toughest injury and toughest recovery yet. I’m still optimistic, so I hope I made the right decision, but it hasn’t been easy…

“I was at the do-or-die point and thought, ‘I can’t go on like this.’ It was mental torture.”