"I'm pretending it doesn't faze me but I'm rattled" - Thanasi Kokkinakis recalls heated mid-match incident with Fernando Verdasco in 2018

Both Thanasi Kokkinakis and Fernando Verdasco are known for their volatility on the court, so it came as no surprise that the two had a shouting match of sorts during their third round match at the 2018 Miami Open.

The 28-year old finished the 2024 ATP season on a strong note, putting on respectable performances at the Davis Cup Finals in Malaga. The Australian defeated American Ben Shelton in a record-breaking match, as he won the longest tie-breaker at the event in five years. Subsequently, Kokkinakis fell to Matteo Berrettini in a thrilling semifinal match, but earned the respect of the crowd and his opponent for his fearless play.

Following his loss at the Davis Cup, Kokkinakis joined Denis Shapovalov and Dominic Thiem to speak on some of his experiences on tour. The Australian was quick to bring up a well-known incident where he got into an on-court argument with Spaniard Fernando Verdasco during their match at the 2018 Miami Open.

"That was weird, in the first set, I was up, this was after the [Roger] Federer match, so I was like this is my time here we go,” said Kokkinakis. “I won the first set and I was up a break and someone yells out – it was 5-2 or 5-3 to me – he misses a serve and he double faults.
“He yells at his box in Spanish and yells at some people, because there is obviously a massive Spanish population. He wins the second set, I go up a break in the third set and I’m like game point, and he is talking Spanish as I’m serving. I’m pretending it doesn’t faze me but I am rattled!"

The pair then got into a heated exchange as Verdasco interrupted Kokkinakis’ service motion to complain about noise from the Australian’s box.

"He complains someone in my box is talking between first and second serves and I thought he was saying it’s my Dad,” he continued. “I was like no it’s not my Dad!
“He was saying ‘Thanasi it’s your Dad’, he was like ‘I have been playing on tour for so many years, I cannot affect someone calling out’. I was like you are talking about my Dad! He is not saying anything, it’s someone in the crowd!”
"He was kind of intimidating back in the day, [Fernando] Verdasco, so then I got rattled,” he said. Lost six in the third and head in the gutter. We kind of got into a bit but it was nothing. What are we going to do? Tennis players aren’t going to throw hands!"