“I’ll play some WWE and try to rest”: Thanasi Kokkinakis shares his post-match relaxation plan after three-hour victory

Thanasi Kokkinakis emerged victorious in a gruelling three-hour battle against Tomas Martin Etcheverry (No. 39), sealing the match in a third-set tie-break with a score of 7-5, 4-6, 7-6(4) at Adelaide International

The Australian, ranked No. 77, closed his 2024 season with a Challenger 75 Sydney title and now boasts two consecutive wins in his first tournament of the year. After defeating Yoshito Nishioka (No. 63) in the opening round 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, he overcame the talented Argentine and 8th seed in this thrilling encounter.

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Kokkinakis charmed the local crowd with his remarkable win and shared a humorous moment when explaining how he planned to relax after the exhausting three-hour, two-minute match: “I’ll try to get some sleep; it’s a little tough with the adrenaline. But I’ll play some WWE and try to rest the eyes a bit!”

The Australian has shown a fondness for WWE in the past, particularly after winning the 2022 Australian Open men’s doubles alongside Nick Kyrgios. The duo received custom WWE belts from WWE Australia as a gift. “Someone put me through a table already,” Kokkinakis joked upon receiving the belts three years ago.

In the quarterfinals, Kokkinakis faces a tough challenge against second seed Sebastian Korda (No. 22). The American has won all three of their previous encounters, the latest at the DC Open, where Kokkinakis was forced to retire due to an injury. “I had match points on him in Washington, and he shanked a ball past me on the line and won the match and the tournament,” Kokkinakis said. “So, that one I still kind of got demons about, to be honest.”

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