Kokkinakis said his right pectoral was “gone” before he went on court against Draper, and he is certain there is a tear in the muscle. He withdrew before his Adelaide quarter-final against Korda last week because of the same issue.
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“I just tried to tough it out. I was touch-and-go again to play this week. I took a million painkillers to try and get through,” he said.
“I knew after [the match] I had some serious decisions to make, and I’m going to miss some time. I just tried to kind of empty the tank today, and for this week, and see what I can do.
“I put myself in a winning position. I didn’t have enough to get over, so that’s annoying … I just know, even if I win, at what cost? I know I’m going to be out for a while, I think.”
Kokkinakis appears to have first suffered a pectoral tear ahead of the 2016 US Open after undergoing shoulder surgery the previous year. He has had repeated issues with the injury in the following years, but avoided surgery to date because he is unconvinced it will fix the problem.
“There’s no guarantees with surgery,” Kokkinakis said. “One thing is for sure: I can’t keep doing what I’m doing. It’s mental torture and physical torture.”
Thanasi Kokkinakis receives treatment during his second round match against Jack Draper.Credit: AP
Kokkinakis said the pectoral problem hurt when hitting serves and forehands, and he aggravates it simply by playing multiple matches at a tournament.
“I couldn’t play against Korda last week because of it. I was feeling it against [Tomas Martin] Etcheverry. I felt it in my first-round match [at the Australian Open],” he said.
“It’s honestly an every-week thing. I just try to take my days off … [and] try not to hit at all. I try to do everything I can recovery-wise to heal it. It’s frustrating because the rest of my body feels great. It’s just this one injury.”
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Kyrgios suggested after his loss on Monday night that he would not make it back to next year’s Australian Open, but Kokkinakis stopped short of making a similar prediction.
“I’m fine with losing. It’s part of it. I lose pretty much every week. It’s just what it means going forward a little bit. That’s the hard one to take,” Kokkinakis said.
“I know I don’t have forever left, so I don’t know how long I’m going to be out, or kind of what the future holds a little bit, even if I can get back to this point, if I get something done. [There is] just a lot of doubt and [I am] pretty upset.”
Tomljanovic out of the Open
Ajla Tomljanovic is out of the Australian Open. The three-time grand slam quarter-finalist was beaten by an opponent, Russia’s Diana Shnaider, who played a tempo of tennis more akin to her world No.13 ranking than Tomljanovic’s current standing outside the world’s top 100.
For the sixth time in her career the Australian has exited her home grand slam event in the second round after she was beaten by Shnaider, 6-4, 7-5, in one hour and 30 minutes on John Cain Arena.
The 20-year-old Russian, who is banging on the door of the world’s top 10, wore down 31-year-old Tomljanovic in the early stages of the second set, racing to a 4-2 lead.
But a mid-set recovery from the Australian restored hope. In a matter of moments it was 5-5 in the second set and Tomljanovic could see hope on the horizon of levelling the match.
But Shnaider decided to step up with some big moments to close out the win. Leading 6-4, 6-5 on Tomljanovic’s serve, Shnaider pulled out a ripping forehand winner down the line.
Three-time grand slam quarter-finalist Ajla Tomljanovic fell to Russia’s Diana Shnaider.Credit: Getty Images
Not long after a double fault by Tomljanovic set up a match point. And that’s all it took.
Tomljanovic’s departure has continued a tough tournament so far for Australia’s women’s contingent.
Others to exit early included Daria Saville, Olivia Gadecki and youngsters Maya Joint and Emerson Jones.
Saville, also currently out of the world’s top 100, lost her first round match in a tight three-setter on Sunday night.
Gadecki, the country’s best women’s player crashed out to Veronika Kudermetova 6-1, 6-1, on Tuesday night.
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