![\"Thanasi](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/d97284eab7c36273e0d270be385b24595ce2b1d1.jpeg\")
<\/p>\nLike Kyrgios, Kokkinakis has struggled with injuries throughout his career. He will play for the first time since a self-confessed \u201crisky\u201d operation in February to fix a debilitating pectoral injury, where the surgeon transplanted the Achilles tendon from a deceased person into the tennis player\u2019s right shoulder.<\/p>\n
Kokkinakis will play doubles only in Brisbane but hopes to make his singles return in his home city of Adelaide a week later as a test before the Australian Open.<\/p>\n
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Thanasi Kokkinakis hopes to be on court more than at promotions in 2026.Credit: Alex Coppel<\/p>\n
Kyrgios warned after playing under injury duress and losing in the first round at this year\u2019s Open that he may never play at Melbourne Park again<\/a> after suffering an abdominal strain<\/a> on tournament eve.<\/p>\n \u201cRealistically, I can\u2019t really see myself probably playing singles here again,\u201d Kyrgios said at the time.<\/p>\n Loading<\/p>\n \u201cI tried to do the best I could with the state I was in physically. [It is] heartbreaking because I wanted to play well. I feel like my level\u2019s there. Obviously, the timing of the abdominal strain is not ideal. But it is what it is.\u201d<\/p>\n But Kyrgios announced his comeback bid last month, targeting his 11th Australian Open main draw appearance and revealing his body was in a much better place after a horror period since his career-best 2022 season.<\/p>\n A player who said a decade ago that \u201cI don\u2019t really like the sport of tennis that much\u201d is trying to eke out as much of whatever is left in his professional career.<\/p>\n The evidence in the past three years suggests that Kyrgios\u2019 off-court portfolio has far more upside than when he has a racquet in hand. However, one thing is for certain: there will be eyeballs on his every move this summer, which is why he will never lack for wildcards.<\/p>\n Kokkinakis, 29, retains commercial appeal, too, despite not having the same tennis success as Kyrgios, who he faced in the Australian Open boys\u2019 final 12 years ago.<\/p>\n