'Winning Is Addictive': Kokkinakis Ready To Take On 'One Of Toughest Draws'

| by Zachary Wimer

After a very long time, Thanasi Kokkinakis is back to winning ways at the Roland Garros and he wants to keep the trend going.

On Sunday, the Australian recorded his first win in eight years on Parisian clay when he defeated the 20th-seeded Daniel Evans. It was Kokkinakis' third-ever win at the Roland Garros, and it will be very difficult for him to add more.

After beating one of the seeded players, already in the next round, he can meet three-time Grand Slam champion Stan Wawrinka. In case of further success, Kokkinakis can play back-to-back matches against Russians Karen Khachanov and Andrey Rublev, before possibly taking on the 22-time major winner Novak Djokovic, and then Carlos Alcaraz.

If the World No. 108 made a surprising run to the final, he would then maybe face Daniil Medvedev or Holger Rune, and there seems to be no easy opponent for him at the tournament. He's aware of his path and joked about it after the first-round win.

Kokkinakis Stuns 20th-seeded Evans For First Roland Garros Win Since 2015
Kokkinakis Stuns 20th-seeded Evans For First Roland Garros Win Since 2015

"Someone sent me my path to the final, obviously ambitious, but it's one of the toughest draws I've ever seen. But I probably wasn't expected to win today either so I'll rest up, recover and see what I can do."

Kokkinakis also admitted that he has a feeling of his career being taken away from him because of multiple injuries. But now, he's back to winning ways and admitted that it's addictive.

"When it feels like half of your career has been kind of taken away, you hope you can have a bit at the back end. As long as my body is able to... we'll see. There was a point when we didn't think I'd play that much longer and I was 22 years old. I'm 27 now and who knows. Winning is addictive and losing makes you want to quit tennis."

The 2022 Australian Open doubles champion is also aware of the fact that he can't play tennis forever so he tries not to take things for granted and enjoy it while he can.

"I know I can't do this forever. Whatever I do choose, I try not to take it for granted... I know where I was many years ago when I was missing out and not having opportunities. You never know but I find it hard to see myself playing like these guys you see playing past 35, 36. There's so much travel, from Australia constantly. Your social life pretty much goes out the window."

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