Thanasi Kokkinakis is planning a comeback to professional tennis in 2026 after having one of the most unusual surgeries in tennis history.
The Australian player had been dealing with serious pain from a pectoral injury in his right shoulder for years. It was so bad that he could barely get through matches.
His last appearance on tour was playing doubles with Nick Kyrgios at the Australian Open. Both guys were hurt, and they couldn’t even finish their first-round match.
| Name | Age | Points | Stats 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thanasi Kokkinakis | 29 | 633 | 6 - 10 |
That’s when Kokkinakis made a pretty incredible decision.
A Surgery No Tennis Player Had Ever Tried
In February, Kokkinakis underwent a procedure that sounds like something out of science fiction. Doctors transplanted an Achilles tendon from a deceased person into his right shoulder.
No tennis player had ever tried this before.
"The surgery I did, it’s risky. No tennis player has ever done it. A few surgeons didn’t want to do it but I feel like I had to take a chance and bite the bullet if I want to have a crack at the rest of my career."
The 29-year-old knew he was rolling the dice. Several surgeons actually refused to do the operation because it was so experimental.
"When you speak to surgeons and tennis players, no one has seen this injury or had a surgery like this before in tennis. It’s pretty daunting. I knew I had to have a crack and why not be the first."
That’s what desperation looks like in professional sports.
The Alternative Was Career Suicide
Before the surgery, Kokkinakis was looking at a pretty grim future. He could maybe play one match per week for the rest of his career.
In tennis, that’s basically career suicide.
"I could have played one match a week for the rest of my career maybe. But in tennis, you can’t do that. You have to be able to string wins together back-to-back if you want to make any inroads in your career or ranking."
He called it "mental torture" to keep playing in that condition.
The guy was at a do-or-die point. Either risk everything on an experimental surgery or accept that his career was essentially over.
The Comeback Plan
Now, nearly a year later, Kokkinakis is eyeing his return to the court.
His plan is pretty cautious. He wants to start with doubles at the Brisbane International, then maybe try singles in Adelaide.
If everything goes well, he’s hoping to make it to the Australian Open.
"I’m hoping to start Brisbane doubles, maybe. I’ll try and make my tennis return in Adelaide if all goes well and keeps trending the right way and hopefully I’m in good nick to start Aussie Open."
He’s realistic about his expectations though. Kokkinakis doesn’t think he’ll be at his best until mid-year 2026.
That’s over a year of recovery from one surgery.
Reuniting with Kyrgios
One of the most exciting possibilities is another partnership with Nick Kyrgios in doubles.
The pair won the Australian Open doubles title in 2022, creating some of the most electric moments that tournament has ever seen.
"If all goes well, we would love to run it back at Aussie Open. We haven’t given that a fair crack since we won. We were both injured this year when we played and the crowd loves it and that’s kind of why we are doing it."
The crowd connection was real. Australian tennis fans went absolutely crazy for the Kokkinakis-Kyrgios combination.
Kyrgios has had his own injury struggles recently. He hasn’t played an ATP tour match since July, dealing with a string of physical problems over the past couple of years.
Both players are basically trying to piece their careers back together at the same time.
It’s a pretty amazing story when you think about it. A guy risks an experimental surgery that no tennis player had ever tried, spends nearly a year recovering, and now he’s planning to team up again with his injury-plagued friend for another shot at glory.
Whether it works out remains to be seen. But you’ve got to admire the determination it takes to bet everything on an untested procedure just for the chance to compete again.
