Thanasi Kokkinakis has become the marathon man of tennis, a veritable magnet for late-night, drawn-out, exhausting and nearly always nail-biting drama, played out over five undulating acts.
“You know, they’re incredible learning experiences, great stories really to tell,” enthuses the Adelaide scrapper, musing to AAP in London about the five epic grand slam five-setters and those other Davis Cup nail-biters he’d endured in 2024.
“They’re great battles, those five-setters, they’re fun too even if it hurts my body when I play a couple of days later. Four-and-a-half, five hours, yet maybe it comes down to who’s sharpest in just a couple of moments.
“It’s so hard to focus for a long period of time, and perhaps that’s why a lot of my matches go the distance. I mean, these guys, they’re all good, they’re so tough to put away, right?”
Then, a smile.
“Of course, I’d like to get those wins done easier … but easier said than done…”
There was a time he’d more often than not fall short in those epics. His very first grand slam match in 2013 was as a wide-eyed 16-year-old in an Australian Open qualifier against American Steve Johnson. His 17-15 loss in the final set was a portent.
Ten years on, nothing had seemingly changed at his home slam when defeat to Andy Murray in the dead of night after five hours and 45 minutes of high drama ended with his lovely Twitter lament: “This f***ing sport man….”
So to the good news.
“I think I’m starting to win those five-setters I might previously have lost,” ponders Kokkinakis.
“I’ve got a bit more belief and feel like my body’s in better shape to win those, and I’m a little bit more mature, a little bit sharper. I think I’m starting to get on the other side of them.”
Indeed, in 2024, he won four of those five that went the distance, as well as that epic deciding tiebreak 16-14 against rising US star Ben Shelton in the Davis Cup quarter-final.
It persuades Kokkinakis he’s playing the best tennis of his career at 28, the sort that had his Davis Cup captain Lleyton Hewitt purring in Malaga: “At his highest level, Thanasi’s dangerous for anybody.”
“Although I’m not at my career-high ranking, I feel like I’m at my best tennis level, for sure,” agrees the world No.77, who’ll be pushing to get past his 2023 career-high of 65 this year.
“My goal is for 2025 to be my best year yet. I truly feel like, if I can stay healthy and keep playing the way I have been, and have a full programme, I’ll definitely have a good year.”
His catalogue of injury struggles ever since a brief taste of being a teen prodigy militate against any grandiose predictions, though.
For even as he prepares to open his season at his hometown Adelaide International at Memorial Drive next week – scene of his sole ATP Tour triumph back in 2022 – he’s been having to nurse a niggling hip issue that prompted him to withdraw from this week’s Brisbane event.
It’s nothing new for this rare old fighter, whose catalogue of abdomen, knee, groin and back trouble would have completely sunk a less steely soul years ago.
So what keeps him battling on? “Honestly, myself,” he smiles.
“I don’t want to sound like an idiot, but I’ve kind of inspired myself with how I’ve been able to come back and produce good tennis after it was looking bleak.”
His body has taken a battering but fond memories remind him of what’s still possible.
“I just remember those great, great moments, representing your country, like winning that massive match with Shelton, like winning those long ones in slams,” he says.
“I know you won’t have many of those same sort of emotions and feelings after tennis, especially not on the court anyway.
“It’s something I’ve given so much of my life to, and it would be kind of rude to stop it early.”
Excellent news. Because those Kokkinakis shows remain among the most riveting in tennis and the old drama magnet makes it sound as though they’re far from over.
Content Source: www.perthnow.com.au