The highs of pushing Stefanos Tsitsipas to five sets before a home crowd on Rod Laver Arena last month are a far cry from the sparse qualifying courts Thanasi Kokkinakis has competed on since. But it is a journey the 24-year-old accepts on another long road back following a year sidelined.
On Tuesday, the 24-year-old scored a 7-5, 6-1 victory over Spaniard Mario Vilella Martinez in the final round of qualifying at the Miami Open presented by Itau. It booked his second main draw appearance of the season, following his run to the second round of this year’s Australian Open.
“Yeah it’s a little bit different [to facing Tsitsipas at the Australian Open], but for me the goal is still the same,” Kokkinakis said. “I haven’t played in so long, so any match is a good chance to get out there for me to show and prove that I belong to get my ranking back and rebuild some confidence.”
That ranking and confidence have taken a battering in recent years. The Australian admitted he competed in $6 Kmart t-shirts at his home Grand Slam last month. It was the anecdote from his run there, which best captured his personality and his rotten run of luck.
Since surging to No. 69 in the FedEx ATP Rankings in June 2015, a litany of injuries derailed the Australian in every season since. It meant he no longer had a clothing sponsor and the road ahead became even bleaker, following the impact of the pandemic on the tour.
“It’s definitely tough, especially when you haven’t had the last two years earning money,” Kokkinakis said. “It’s even more so tricky maybe for myself and then my first year back on tour when everything is cut dramatically and it’s a bit more of a grind.
“I’m trying to look at it in a way where everything I do now is trying to set myself up for next year, get those matches. Hopefully next year things are back to normal, prize money is back and it’s a good chance to earn a living. I’ve been fortunate to have this opportunity to start playing again so I’m just trying to compete and stay healthy again.”
Kokkinakis: ‘Matches Like This Are Why I Keep Believing’
Currently ranked No. 243 in the FedEx ATP Rankings, Kokkinakis did not play at all throughout 2020 and contested only four tour-level main draws in 2019. His frustrations were only compounded having claimed the biggest win of his career in Miami in 2018.
The Australian had stunned top seed Roger Federer in three sets at Key Biscayne in the second round. It was validation that his ability and hard work had aligned and his body had held up. And it’s still a match for which he is remembered.
“There was one old guy here who works at the tournament and he has a strong European accent and he keeps yelling ‘Kokkinakis’,” he said. “He was trying to tell me a lot of the fans [when I played Federer] hated him because he was one of the few cheering for me.
“I appreciate him. It’s always good memories coming back to Miami. It’s a little bit of a different venue, obviously. It’s a bit different without the atmosphere and the crowd, but you’ve just got to make the most of it.”
Fellow qualifier, Japan’s #NextGenATP 17-year-old Shintaro Mochizuki, is Kokkinakis’ opening-round opponent. The 29th seed, Marton Fucsovics, awaits the winner.
Should Kokkinakis find a way past both to match his third-round run from three years ago, World No. 4 Andrey Rublev looms. The Russian, only 18 months the Australian’s junior, could empathise with Kokkinakis’ sentiments on the frustrations of a career being put on hold due to injuries as his peers forged on ahead.
“Mentally the toll it has where you see guys you feel like you should be up there with, where they’ve had the chances to play and compete, the last few years I haven’t [had those chances],” Kokkinakis said. “Every injury is a massive setback. It’s just trying to build yourself up again and keep going and that sort of stuff takes a toll and a lot of people don’t realise that unless they’ve been in that sort of position, so I’m fortunate to be playing again and try not to take it for granted.
“I’m kind of a veteran because I get how the tour works and I’ve been around for a while, but at the same time I haven’t had anywhere near the tennis that people my age have had so I kind of feel like a bit of a youngster in that regard. It is a blessing and a curse.”