It’s been a trying last few years for Thanasi Kokkinakis.
After breaking into the Top 100 as a teenager in 2015, reaching his first ATP final in Los Cabos in 2017 and getting the biggest win of his career over a No. 1-ranked Roger Federer at Miami in 2018, he missed several chunks of 2019 and all of 2020 due to a combination of shoulder and pectoral injuries, as well as a bout with glandular fever. He’s also struggled with knee, back and groin injuries in his career.
But the determined Australian clawed back up the rankings in 2021, starting the year at No. 260 and finishing it at No. 172—he was nominated for ATP Comeback Player of the Year, alongside Andy Murray, Jack Sock and Mackenzie McDonald.
And now, he’s off to a flying start to 2022: Kokkinakis has just reached the second and third ATP semifinals of his career in back-to-back weeks.
And they've both come in his hometown of Adelaide, too, which is hosting back-to-back ATP events these two weeks. He’s gotten to the final four at both of them.
KOKKINAKIS’ CAREER ATP SEMIFINALS (OR BETTER)
~ F at 2017 Los Cabos (d. Berdych in SFs, l. to Querrey in F)
~ SFs at 2022 Adelaide-1 (l. to Monfils)
~ SFs at 2022 Adelaide-2 (playing Cilic tonight)
And it gets even better—his grueling 6-7 (5), 7-6 (5), 7-6 (4) victory over No. 24-ranked American John Isner in the second round this week was his biggest win by ranking since that famous victory over Federer at Miami in 2018.
Currently ranked No. 145, the 25-year-old seems Top 100-bound once again.