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Thanasi Kokkinakis is back playing Grand Slam matches, and it wouldn’t feel right if he won or lost in anything but 5 sets.
In his last match in a grand slam, Kokkinakis lost an epic 5-set match to Jack Draper at the Australian Open in 2025.
At the 2024 US Open he won in four, then lost in 3.
At the 2024 Wimbledon tournament the Australian won in 5 sets before retiring from his second round match.
Two years ago at the French Open we saw Kokkinakis win two matches in 5 sets before losing in 5 to Taylor Fritz.
The Australian Open in 2024 again saw a five set win in the opening round.
And so it goes, all the way back to 2015, there was often a five set match thrown in.
In 2026 after coming back from injury, the 30-year-old Australian took on world no. 52 ranked French player Terence Atmane.
After a close first set was won by the Frenchman it was Kokkinakis that took the second set. Atmane hit back to lead two sets to one before the Australian took the final two sets to win in four hours and 18 minutes.
Kokkinakis fired down 24 Aces to 14 from Atmane. The match was won 6-7(5), 6-2, 4-6, 6-3, 7-5.
“To come back after such little tennis on a grand stage and in these conditions against a good player from France, it’s probably my best mental effort,” said the Adelaide warrior.
“Even a few days ago there was talks that I wasn’t sure if I’d play. I had some people flying in, and I told them to stay home, because I didn’t want to play a few games and something go bad.
“To be honest. I was very scared, very nervous to go out there – but when I got going, I just played on energy.”
Next up is Spain’s Pablo Carreno Busta.
de Minaur and Kasatkina advance
Other winners on day two included Australia’s top-ranked men’s player, Alex de Minaur. He won against British qualifier Toby Samuel. The Brit who is ranked at no. 159 was playing his first match against a top-100 player, let alone a top-10 star.
de Minaur won the match 6-4, 6-4, 6-2.
“I’m happy to get my campaign started. You know, [it’s] never easy starting first match of a tournament, but to get the win in straight sets, I thought I played a very consistent match,” said de Minaur
Daria Kasatkina won her match against Zeynep Sonmez from Turkey. The final score was a 6-4, 6-4.
“Today was one of the matches where I think maybe we didn’t produce, like, the fabulous level of tennis. But, you know, it’s very hot, the conditions are tough.,” Kastakina said.
Australians lose first round
Emerson Jones had a four-time French Open champion in her way in round 1. Iga Swiatek proved a class above the young Australian, taking the match 6-1, 6-2.
Also out the door was Maya Joint, losing 6-1, 6-2 to Austria’s Anastasia Potapova. Talia Gibson lost to Yulia Putinseva 4-6, 6-4, 6-1.
Aleksander Vukic lost to Belgium’s Raphael Collignon, the final score was 6-3, 6-3, 7-6(4).
Rinky Hijikata also lost, going down to USA’s Tommy Paul 4-6, 6-3, 7-5, 6-4.