Kokkinakis: Two Nadal Matches And Battling Through The Struggles In Between

The first time Thanasi Kokkinakis faced Rafael Nadal, the Aussie was a hot commodity in the tennis world. He’d made the final of the boys’ singles events both in Melbourne and at the US Open in 2013. And entering the 2014 Australian Open at 17, he beat Igor Sijsling in the first round of the main draw to earn a shot at Nadal.

“I remember it was super hot that day, so we ended up closing the roof. I don’t know how hot it was, but that year, 2014, Australia was like 45 degrees Celsius or whatever, so it was crazy heat. They shut the roof. But he just beat me with physicality is what it felt like,” Kokkinakis said. “I found his serve really tough, which sounds stupid because you wouldn’t think that’s the best part of his game. But I found that really awkward, because if you didn’t do enough with the ball obviously he was controlling.”

Nadal won that match 6-2, 6-4, 6-2, but Kokkinakis held his own and showed that he was a talent to watch for years to come. But not everything has gone according to plan for the Aussie.

Kokkinakis underwent right shoulder surgery in December 2015, and he’d also struggle with an abdominal strain, playing just one tour-level singles match from November 2015 through May 2017, and that came at the 2016 Olympics.

Last year at the Miami Open presented by Itau, Kokkinakis appeared on the rise again, stunning then-World No. 1 Roger Federer. It was only his fifth tournament in seven months, but Kokkinakis showed that when healthy, he could compete with the best players in the world.

But this January, Kokkinakis retired in the first round of the Australian Open due to a right shoulder injury that kept him sidelined until April, and a right pectoral injury kept him out until July.

“I think mentally I’m a lot better than I was. I just feel in a happier place even though I haven’t played,” Kokkinakis said. “2016 was a really tough year for me. I was as low as I think I or anyone could get. I was struggling a lot mentally that year. But after working my way through that year, everything else feels a bit easier with me. Wins and losses aren’t the be-all and end-all, even though they mean a lot.”

The former World No. 69 had moments this year when he got to events only to have to withdraw. But the good thing is that he feels he’s done everything in his power to put himself in his current position.

“Missing a whole probably six, seven months wasn’t easy, but I was probably a lot more professional than I had been in the past. This time around I tried to do all the right things,” Kokkinakis said. “A tennis player’s window, especially mine, just feel like it’s been cut short a little bit. So I’m trying to get the most out of my career and do what I can. I’ve tried to do all the right things, so the body’s feeling alright at the moment.”

Todd Langman, Kokkinakis’ coach, has known his pupil since he was seven years old. He remembers the high moments from Kokkinakis’ junior years to the lows of battling injuries. But Langman feels that Kokkinakis has broken through mentally this season.

“This year in particular he’s really matured. You’d like to think at some point the maturity will come in and I feel like at 23 he’s started to mature a lot,” Langman said. “He’s managed himself a lot this year in that it would have been very easy to think, ‘The world’s against me, poor me and everything.’ To his credit, he fought on and got stuck in and he hired a really good trainer with 20 years experience. Thanasi knows his body better than anyone and he’s been in there chipping away at it.”

At the US Open on Tuesday, Kokkinakis earned a victory that clearly meant a lot to him, battling past Belarusian Ilya Ivashka in four tight sets. And now, he will get another shot at Nadal Thursday evening inside Arthur Ashe Stadium.

“I’m a bit stronger now. I’m looking forward to it, I’ve got to be aggressive, play my game and see what happens. He’s definitely a very good frontrunner though, like all the top guys. When they get some confidence — he can play from behind as well, obviously — but when they get some confidence, they play very well,” Kokkinakis said. “So if I could keep things tight, everyone gets nervous, so I’ll give it a crack.”

Nadal never takes any of his opponents lightly, and he noted after his first-round victory that Kokkinakis has weapons in his game.

“He's young. He has a big forehand, big serve. He's a dangerous opponent, of course,” Nadal said. “I need to go on court and to play well. If not, it will be a very difficult match.”

These are the moments Kokkinakis lives for. It’s why the 23-year-old battled through all the tough times — physically and mentally. Even on an outside court Tuesday evening, there were sizable crowds gathering to watch him compete against Ivashka.

“It’s unbelievable. It’s why you play. I had really good memories early from that, especially from Australia when I was super young,” Kokkinakis said.

Now, Kokkinakis will be playing on a court that holds more than 23,000 fans, competing against a player who has lifted the trophy in Flushing Meadows three times.

“It’s a balance between nerves and then just going out there and playing free. It takes a little bit to get settled in, but I’ve had some good wins in the past. I feel like my top level is very good, I’ve just got to try and stay healthy and the fitter I get, the more confident I get, hopefully my top level and bottom level, I start to close that gap,” Kokkinakis said. “I’ve shown I can beat some really good players. Rafa’s going to be next, so that’s not easy. The last time I played him was my first Grand Slam. I was 17 and I actually thought I played alright. It’s definitely going to be tough, but that’s why you play these big events.”

Langman knows his charge is fired up to compete against one of the world's best on one of the sport's biggest stages, perhaps even moreso now than he would have been before his injuries.

“The fact that he’s had these injuries, I think the appreciation for him now playing these bigger events and I know getting through yesterday’s match was huge because the possibility to play Nadal on Ashe is something we’ve definitely, definitely dreamt about,” Langman said. “It’s going to be pretty exciting. It’s going to be sick.”

Langman says that Kokkinakis has been honest and aware that some of the original #NextGenATP stars — a group he was a part of — have gone on to great success on the ATP Tour, while Kokkinakis has not been able to fully showcase his abilities due to injuries.

“I think him going out there against Nadal, I think people are going to hopefully see that he’s still relevant and he’s very clear about where he wants to go,” Langman said. “People forget that he’s 23 now. It’s not like he’s 33 and the clock’s ticking.”

During Kokkinakis’ post-match interview after beating Ivashka, the room roared to life as fans above inside Arthur Ashe Stadium cheered for Nadal after the Spaniard’s victory. The Aussie knew it was for Nadal. And he’ll hope to be the one bringing the crowd to its feet Thursday.

“I want to leave them with a good match," Kokkinakis said. “I’d rather take the win. Hopefully that’s what they remember. I don’t really care if they know my story too much or whatever. Hopefully they see some good tennis. Everyone has their own little battles that they’ve got. But hopefully I just play a good match and come out with a win, play aggressive, and hopefully they’re entertained with the tennis.”

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