It is a great time for Australian tennis. There are a handful of young stars emerging from the land down under and they seem primed to assert themselves as tennis’ dominant nation. Thanasi Kokkinakis is one of the youngsters looking to break out on the ATP World Tour. However, the Adelaide native has largely been overshadowed by his fellow youngster Nick Kyrgios.
While Kyrgios has been the most successful of the young Aussies so far, he has received the most attention for reasons other than his tennis. Constant controversies combined with the odd flash of brilliance has made Kyrgios a household name. Kokkinakis has often been mixed in with Kyrgios so far, but he is ready to make a name for himself separate from his controversial countryman
Escaping Kyrgios’ Shadow
Kokkinakis and Kyrgios are a year apart in age and grew up playing juniors together and are the future face of Australian tennis. Because of this the two have always been associated. However, Kokkinakis says that this is all exaggerated.
Kokkinakis at Cincinnati this past year. Photo: Getty Images
“We were the Special Ks in the past, this is what the media has done. I will have to expect that. Our names start with the same letter, but one can associate as much as they like. I have a good relation with Nick. He says some stuff we all know he shouldn’t say. I have made it pretty clear that he can’t be doing that anymore.”
When Kokkinakis mentions Kyrgios saying things he should not say, he is likely referring specifically to Kyrgios’ infamous Rogers Cup incident with Stan Wawrinka, when Kyrgios told the French Open champion that Kokkinakis had slept with Wawrinka’s girlfriend Donna Vekic, Kokkinakis former mixed doubles partner. Kokkinakis was not happy to be involved in the controversy, and was critical of Kyrgios for his comments.
Making His Own Way
All of the young Australians have had their own court issues in the past, however Kokkinakis, the youngest of the Aussie crew, has shown the most maturity. The most notable incident was when he threatened by Ryan Harrison in Cincinnati over the Kyrgios/Wawrinka incident. When Harrison made rude comments to Kokkinakis, Kokkinakis kept his emotions in check and defused the situation calmly. This reaction was in stark contrast to what would have been expected of Kyrgios.
Kokkinakis at Cincinnati this past year. Photo: Getty Images
Kokkinakis, who is a year younger than Kyrgios, has yet to have a major breakthrough on the ATP World Tour. However, he is beginning to make progress. His ranking has been steadily increasing over the last three years and he has been appearing more regularly in tour-level events. He appeared in all four grand slams in a single season for the first time in his career, reaching the third round of the French Open.
While Kokkinakis has not had the results that Kyrgios has so far, he has a great opportunity to become a top-tier player on the ATP tour. He plays a solid all-court game, with good movement, solid ground strokes off both wings, a good serve and some passionate play. Unlike Kyrgios, Kokkinakis is known for his fighting spirit and giving it his all on court. Of the up-and coming Aussies, his game is the most promising and he has the best attitude. Moving forward, he should be able to firmly separate his reputation from that of Kyrgios, particularly in the attitude department.