Kokkinakis: “I have the Achilles tendon of a dead person in my arm”

Thanasi Kokkinakis nearly walked away from tennis for good. The 29‑year‑old Australian returned to competition and broke down in tears during a doubles match with Nick Kyrgios in the opening round of the 2026 Brisbane ATP event—his home tournament. Back in February, he underwent a complex and little‑understood surgery after battling a mysterious injury.

“I’ve got an Achilles tendon allograft—or basically a dead person’s Achilles—inside my arm, trying to reconnect my pec to my shoulder,” he revealed.

A year of pain, confusion, and no answers

Kokkinakis describes the past year as “crazy.” He had been dealing with chronic pain in his shoulder and chest, but no doctor could give him a clear diagnosis or treatment plan. He bounced from specialist to specialist.

“I talked to so many surgeons, so many doctors—even Rafa Nadal’s doctor—and no one really knew what was going on. No physio or doctor I saw felt confident about the right path forward,” he said.

He reached a breaking point. “I said I didn’t want to keep doing the same thing. I’d play a match, maybe get a big win, and then my arm would be wrecked for the next two rounds. I honestly didn’t care if I never played again. It felt like I’d get a small glimpse of what I could do, and then I’d have to pull out.”

After months of uncertainty and damaged tissue that wouldn’t heal, he opted for a surgery almost unheard of in tennis.

A rare, high‑risk surgery

Doctors performed an Achilles tendon allograft to reconnect his pectoral muscle to his shoulder.

“Basically, they cut half my pec. I had this hairless scar tissue that I’d been playing with for about five years. I saw a bunch of surgeons who didn’t want to operate—they thought it was too risky,” he said.

Recovery has been brutal. “It’s really hard to come back from. You don’t have anyone to talk to because no one’s done it. Lots of people tear their ACL or Achilles—those are horrible injuries—but at least you can talk to others who’ve been through it. With this, there’s no roadmap.”

Because the procedure is so unusual, no one could predict how long recovery would take. “I’m just evaluating things as we go. Some days I feel good, and others I think there’s no way I’ll ever play again. It’s been a really tough road this year, and I’m just trying to take it day by day. There are so many unknowns, but I’ve trained so hard just to give myself a chance to play doubles. I don’t know what my future looks like, but I’ve done everything I can to at least give myself a shot. My arm’s a bit worn out. I’m just trying, and hopefully there’s still something left in me.”

A winning return with Kyrgios

Alongside Kyrgios, Kokkinakis pulled off a three‑set win over Matthew Ebden and Rajeev Ram. Kyrgios, his longtime friend and compatriot, praised him afterward.

“People underestimate how much work goes into this. Just because we don’t play full schedules, they think it’s easy. But you’re constantly managing load, doing more physio, and you don’t really know how to train or prepare. Like he said, there’s no one you can ask about an injury like this.”

Kyrgios showed deep empathy and admiration. “He’s dealt with this pretty much his whole career, and watching him play today, we were honestly surprised by our level. It didn’t look like we’d been away from the game. It’s been basically a year for Thanasi. We got through qualifying and faced two guys who are probably among the best active doubles players out there.”

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