Tennis champion Thanasi Kokkinakis won the Australian Open in a pair of $40 Cotton On shorts
Kokkinakis entered the Australian Open in a low-key outfit, wearing a striking pair of shorts from affordable Australian retailer, Cotton On.
You wouldn't have thought it watching his wild romp towards the Australian Open doubles title with partner Nick Kyrgios, but Thanasi Kokkinakis’ triumph at his home grand slam was more a story of redemption than anything else. The Australian has had one of the toughest couple of years of anyone on the international tennis circuit, his many comebacks hampered by a spate of injury issues that have left him unable to compete for vast swathes of the last couple of years.
As such, despite him being a household name down under, Kokkinakis entered the Australian Open shrouded in a mist of obscurity. He entered both the singles and doubles tournaments as a wildcard, losing in the former in the first round to a qualifier, indicating he still has work to do on his game to reach the lofty heights of the top 50 that he achieved back in 2015.
But while the 25-year-0ld’s confidence and swagger gave none of the hardships he’s faced in the last couple of years away, his clothing did. Having been under contract to endorse Nike during the first few years of his career, Kokkinakis was dropped by the swoosh early last year, making headlines in the tennis world by entering tournaments in a $6 Kmart shirt printed with his other sponsor’s logos on it.
Following on from this, he entered the Australian Open in a markedly low-key outfit, characterised by the same plain black top and some striking shorts, which ABC journo Oscar Coleman pointed out were, in fact $40 workout shorts from Australia’s favourite spot for affordable basics, Cotton On. It’s heartening to know that someone can go on to elite things in gear they may well have bought on a whim at Rundle Mall, just like us.
Of course, we’re sure someone who’s taken home over $1.5 million in prize money over the course of his career could probably fork out for some more expensive shorts if he wished, but there’s no doubt that the training shorts, dressed in the ivory bandana print chosen by Kokkinakis, fit the bill as a pair of all-purpose tennis shorts. They have a ton of pockets for keeping balls and valuables safe during heavy exercise, and are cut relatively short in keeping with the current activewear trends of the time.
Paired with the plain black top which we can neither confirm nor deny that the Kokk once again procured from Kmart, it made for a surprisingly stylish on-court combo.
All of this goes without saying that Kokkinakis, as a Grand Slam winner and a singles player who is once again knocking on the door of the Top 100, likely won't be without a sponsor for much longer. But whoever he signs with, these are the shorts that’ll go down in tennis history, and as a versatile, affordable addition to your workout wardrobe, it’d be simply un-Australian not to grab a pair while they’re still hot.
SHOP NOW: Cotton On active tech short, $39.99 from Cotton On
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