Australian tennis player Thanasi Kokkinakis has shown a large scar on his chest from a 2019 pectoral injury that left him with half a muscle. He described the ongoing effects during a recent interview.
Kokkinakis said the injury occurred during Australian Open qualifying in 2019. He felt something in his chest and later saw the muscle retract and burst, leading to surgery never before performed in tennis.
The player explained that longer matches cause scar tissue to form a blood-filled ball in his chest. He compared the sensation to having a golf ball there and noted it still affects his play.
At Wimbledon this month Kokkinakis reached the doubles semifinals with Aleksandar Kovacevic after entering as an alternate. The pair defeated three seeded teams before losing to the top seeds.
Kokkinakis is currently ranked 460 and plans to focus on singles during the upcoming North American hard court swing and US Open.
