Thanasi Kokkinakis shamed by Australian great Todd Woodbridge over pre-Open scheduling

Thanasi Kokkinakis’ Australian Open gets underway today, but the popular star has found himself in the crosshairs of one Aussie great for his involvement in a ‘shameful’ tournament.

Thanasi Kokkinakis needs to assess his schedule and consider rethinking his priorities ahead of grand slam events, 16-time slam winner Todd Woodbridge has declared.

Kokkinakis, who kicks off his Australian Open on Monday afternoon, has been hampered by a shoulder injury in the lead-up to his home grand slam.

But it may have been avoided were it not for a jam-packed end to 2024 which Woodbridge said included opportunities where “the money’s great” – including a controversial event in Russia – that he worries usurped tournament preparation.

Kokkinakis played in the third edition of a three-day exhibition event in Russia in December that drew international ire amid the country’s war against Ukraine.

“Scheduling is a really interesting thing with (Kokkinakis),” Woodbridge said on Nine.

Thanasi Kokkinakis has struggled with injury in recent years. Picture: Getty

“He has to think hard about what he’s going to do to get the best tennis career out of himself.

“At the back end of the year he’s gone off and he’s played Challengers (events) and then he went and played exhibition matches that he didn’t need to do.

“Yes, the money’s great and we all love putting that in our pocket and that’s exactly what he did, but that schedule’s hurt to start the year.”

Ahead of the Russian event, the WTA had issued a statement that it did not support the tournament, but could not prevent its players from competing.

Kokkinakis has been criticised for playing exhibition events. Picture: Getty

French player Adrian Mannarino was questioned after his first round Australian Open match about his decision to take part in the Russian event, stating his decision was not related to politics.

“I just went there. I did my job. That’s what I did,” the world No.19 said.

“I’m not supporting anything. That was a private event.”

Details of the event are virtually non-existent online.

Ukrainian player Lesia Tsurenko said in 2023 that she had attempted to convince fellow players not to participate in the event which she described as a “shameful tournament”.

France's Adrian Mannarino also played the controversial Russian event. Picture: Getty

Woodbridge said Kokkinakis should have recuperated at the end of 2024 to reload for a big start to this season.

“He needed to get some really big work in, maybe get to Brisbane, play that- he pulled out of Brisbane,” Woodbridge, who won 16 doubles grand slams between 1992 and 2004, said.

“He always plays well in Adelaide, that’s the home town, he loves it there, but the problem is when you go that hard that early, it wears you out for here.”

He said fellow Australian Alex de Minaur’s model could be one to follow.

“That’s something that Alex de Minaur has done on a number of occasions over the past five years,” he said.

“He’s learned to change that schedule. Now he’s got the week off prior and that has allowed him over the past 12 months to go deep in all the majors, right? That is something Thanasi needs to think about.

“I’m hoping that what happened in Adelaide has given him enough time though to be able to get started here because he’s coming in with confidence, good form … but you’ve got to think about it for next year because otherwise time’s running out.”

Originally published as Thanasi Kokkinakis shamed by Australian great Todd Woodbridge over pre-Open scheduling