Thanasi Kokkinakis’ return to the tour is nearing after he announced his intention to play in next month’s Madrid Open.
The Australian, who peaked at a high of 69th in 2015, has endured a nightmare 18-month period with numerous injury setbacks. At the end of 2015 he underwent shoulder surgery, which sidelined him the tour for months. The following year he could only play one competitive match, which was at the Rio Olympics. Shortly after Rio, he sustained a pulled pectoral muscle, ending his season.
Kokkinakis experienced a brief return to the tour earlier this year by winning the doubles title at the Brisbane International. The triumph was short-lived after a strained stomach muscle sent him back to the injury bench, an all too familiar place for the Australian.
Despite the nightmare experiences faced by Kokkinakis, it has failed to dampen his determination to return to the tour. Currently training in Doha, the 21-year-old is hoping to return to action at the Madrid Open with the help of his protected ranking.
“That’s the plan, that’s the aim,” Kokkinakis told Fox Sports Australia.
“It’s been a tough run. It’s just a matter of getting the confidence back in the body and it’s been tricky mentally dealing with everything.
“I need matches and as soon as I’m ready to go, I want to be able to play which is why we’ve come to Dubai.”
Nearing the start of Madrid, Kokkinakis and his team will travel to Nice in France to prepare for his clay-court campaign. It is unclear as to what his tour intentions are following Madrid. His protected ranking will allow him entry into all of the grand slam tournaments as well as four others. Furthermore, the 21-year-old has been a granted a wildcard for Los Cabos Open. The Mexican tournament gets underway in the first week of August.
Kokkinakis’ return in May will also boost his potential Davis Cup participation. If he is able to maintain fitness, team captain Lleyton Hewitt could select him. Earlier this week Bernard Tomic confirmed his intention to not play in the competition due to the downfall in his current form. In September Australia will play Belgium for a place in the final of the Davis Cup.
A two-time junior grand slam finalist, Kokkinakis was tipped as a future star of the men’s game before being hit by injury. So far in his career, he has won two Challenger titles and reached the third round at the 2015 French Open.
