Thansai Kokkinakis topples Sebastian Korda in Adelaide, but shoulder pain "puts a dampener on the win"

Last week, Thansai Kokkinakis tested the waters at his first tournament since undergoing pectoral surgery in February 2025 by playing doubles with Nick Kyrgios in a pair of Brisbane matches.

On Monday, Kokkinakis made a victorious return in singles at his hometown tournament and site of his maiden ATP triumph: the Adelaide International.

📲🖥️ Stream ATP Adelaide on the Tennis Channel App!

The 29-year-old shined under the lights against two-time finalist Sebastian Korda, gritting out a 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (3) victory in his first singles appearance since facing Jack Draper at last year’s Australian Open.

“After 12 months of rehab I really wanted to start here. Ideally the tournament would have been probably a few weeks later, just to give myself a little bit more prep,” said Kokkinakis.

“But, yeah, it's my favorite tournament in the world. It's something I'll never forget eventually when I hang up the racquets, and not taking these moments for granted, that's for sure.”

While Kokkinakis was thrilled to defeat a player of Korda’s caliber, he couldn’t relish the moment completely. For his right shoulder, which has caused problems since he first went under the knife in 2015, gave cause for concern about his viability on the court during the encounter.

Before mounting his comeback in the second set, Kokkinakis admitted he was “very close” to throwing in the towel.

“It's tough. It puts a dampener on the win, honestly. I felt like I was in autopilot mode,” he explained. “Usually I would be celebrating and probably yelling by the end of it. Obviously I'm happy that I won, but most of my focus is to how my arm is going to be.

“I need to go through these matches to see if I have a chance at AO.”

In the second round, last year’s surprise Shanghai champion Valentin Vacherot awaits. Ever the realist, Kokkinakis hopes the right combination of recovery and anti-inflammatories will allow him to get a crack at the No. 5 seed in a first-time meeting.

“I feel like I know what tomorrow's looking like for me, and I don't love it. I'm going to do everything I can in 48 hours to see if I can give myself a chance on Wednesday,” he asserted.

“One thing that I feel like I've always given, especially playing in Australia more than anything, is just whatever I have, I'm emptying the tank. I'm always giving my best.”