Kokkinakis Pulls Out of Australian Open Singles Chase
Thanasi Kokkinakis bows out of the Australian Open singles, his shoulder still protesting after a gritty Adelaide return, but doubles beckons with lighter stakes and familiar fire.
Thanasi Kokkinakis arrived in Melbourne carrying the weight of a year spent rebuilding, the home courts his best shot at shaking off the shadows of injury. The Australian’s first singles match in nearly a year came last week at the Adelaide International, where he edged Sebastian Korda in a final-set tie-break that tested every fiber. Yet the triumph faded fast, his right shoulder—still tender from pectoral surgery the previous February—flaring under the rally’s demands, leading to a midweek withdrawal from Adelaide.
On Thursday, Kokkinakis confirmed his decision to skip the Australian Open singles draw, a call made after huddling with his team and doctors. The 29-year-old’s game thrives on aggressive baseline probes and that sharp 1–2 punch, but the hard courts’ pace exposed the gaps in his recovery. Crowds had buzzed with hope in Adelaide, their cheers amplifying each crosscourt winner, only for the reality of lingering pain to pull him back.
“Unfortunately after speaking with my team and doctors I have made the decision to pull out of the @AustralianOpen singles,” Kokkinakis wrote on Instagram Stories. “After an incredibly tough year this was the event I was looking forward to the most but I’m not ready yet. I’m doing everything I can every day to be back to 100%.”
Adelaide win masks deeper shoulder strain
In Adelaide, Kokkinakis unleashed heavy topspin forehands to dictate points, turning potential deficits into momentum shifts against Korda. The final-set tie-break demanded extended exchanges, his inside-out returns slicing through defenses, but each overhead serve carried a subtle wince. By Wednesday, the shoulder’s protest grew too loud, forcing him to halt before further damage set in on those pace-friendly hard courts.
The match highlighted tactical adjustments born of caution: more underspin backhands to vary pace, fewer risk-laden down-the-line shots that required full extension. Fans sensed the tension in the air, the crowd’s energy clashing with his measured strokes. This pullout preserves the fragile progress, avoiding a singles grind that could derail months of rehab.
Mental toll shapes recovery’s quiet resolve
Beyond the physical, Kokkinakis’s year has worn on the mind, each practice a battle against doubt after prolonged absence. The psychological edge in tennis sharpens with rhythm, yet his return felt fragmented, the shoulder’s shadow altering confidence in baseline duels. Withdrawing now reflects a player’s grasp of limits, prioritizing the long game over a premature push on home soil.
The Australian Open‘s electric atmosphere would have amplified that internal push, but stepping back allows focus on rebuilding patterns like the one–two serve-forehand combo that once fueled upsets. it’s a calculated pause, the kind that turns setback into setup for deeper runs later in the season.
Doubles offers fun amid scaled-back stakes
Looking to doubles at Melbourne Park brings relief, a format where shared points ease the solo burden on his arm. Kokkinakis and Nick Kyrgios lifted the title here in 2022, their net-rushing synergy thriving in shorter rallies and team volleys. This pivot lets him test the waters with lighter tempo, poaching at the net rather than grinding from the baseline.
“We will still try and step out for the doubles and have some fun,” he wrote, his tone lifting toward the camaraderie that rekindles joy. Thank you to everyone who supports me, he added, acknowledging the fans whose energy has carried him through. As the singles draw heats up without him, this doubles detour plots a path back to full throttle, shoulder willing.
