Particle.news
Download on the App Store

Kokkinakis Returns With Brisbane Doubles Win After Rare Tendon-Graft Surgery

Kyrgios frames his Brisbane singles exit as part of a reduced post-surgery career focused on income.

Overview

  • Thanasi Kokkinakis played his first match in about a year and won a Brisbane doubles opener alongside Nick Kyrgios.
  • Kokkinakis said surgeons used a deceased donor’s Achilles tendon to reattach his pectoral to his shoulder after years of pain and scar tissue.
  • He described cutting away part of his pectoral muscle and consulting numerous doctors, including Nadal’s physician, with no guarantees about outcomes.
  • Nick Kyrgios lost his Brisbane singles first round to Aleksandar Kovacevic 6-3, 6-4 as he continues to rebuild from a wrist reconstruction and two knee surgeries.
  • Kyrgios acknowledged he may never reach his previous level and said earning money is a major reason he continues to compete, with his Australian Open plans unresolved.