Sebastian Korda vs Thanasi Kokkinakis Tips, Prediction & Live Stream - Tough test for Kokkinakis in comeback match

Andrew Hendrie

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Last updated: Mon 12 Jan 2026 00:01

Andrew Hendrie 12 Jan 2026

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Sebastian Korda vs Thanasi Kokkinakis predictions for Monday's ATP Adelaide R1 match
Kokkinakis playing first singles match in 12 months after pectoral surgery
All eight of Korda's previous wins in Adelaide have been in straight sets
The match is scheduled to start around 9.00pm AEDT on Monday January 12

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Sebastian Korda (Photo by Getty Images)

Sebastian Korda vs Thanasi Kokkinakis Tips, Prediction & Live Stream

It's a marquee opening round showdown at the Adelaide International on Monday night as former champion and homegrown hope Thanasi Kokkinakis returns from a long injury layoff against two-time runner-up Sebastian Korda.

Sebastian Korda vs Thanasi Kokkinakis Tips, Prediction & Live Stream
Korda vs Kokkinakis Stats & Trends
Korda vs Kokkinakis Head To Head
Sebastian Korda Form Analysis
Thanasi Kokkinakis Form Analysis
Korda vs Kokkinakis Live Stream

Korda and Kokkinakis are two players who have endured their fair share of injury setbacks, especially the latter, who is playing his first match in almost a year. Kokkinakis has spent the last 12 months on the sidelines after undergoing a rare type of pectoral surgery, where doctors attached the achilles graft of a deceased donor to reattach his torn chest muscle. Time will tell if Kokkinakis will ever get back to his best level, but the fact he's now pain free is a huge win. Korda meanwhile also continues to suffer injury hurdles as he attempts to establish himself at the top of the rankings after peaking at No. 15 in 2024.

Korda played a full schedule to end 2025 and was a quarter-finalist to launch the year in Brisbane, so he's got the big advantage with match fitness right now. Kokkinakis has played some of the best tennis of his career in Adelaide and it's the scene of his only ATP title, but I just can't see him being anywhere close to his best given the circumstances - although he did warm up for this tournament with some doubles alongside Nick Kyrgios in Brisbane last week. Still, singles is completely different and this is a match I expect Korda to win in fairly routine fashion.

Korda vs Kokkinakis Stats & Trends

Kokkinakis hasn't played a singles match since the 2025 Australian Open
Both players have reached the Adelaide final & have strong records at the tournament
All eight of Korda's wins in Adelaide have come in straight sets
Korda's two completed victories over Kokkinakis were in straight sets

Korda vs Kokkinakis Head To Head

Korda has been fairly dominant in recent meetings between the pair, holding a 3-0 advantage in completed matches. These two were due to face off in Adelaide last year before Kokkinakis withdrew with injury.

Tournament	Year	Winner	Score
Adelaide International	2025	Sebastian Korda	w/o
Citi Open (Washington)	2024	Sebastian Korda	6–7(1), 7–5, 3–2 ret.
Indian Wells (BNP Paribas Open)	2022	Sebastian Korda	6–3, 6–4
Delray Beach Open	2022	Sebastian Korda	6–4, 6–1

Sebastian Korda Form Analysis

2026 Record: 2-1
2025 Record: 23-19
ATP Adelaide Record: 8-3
Current Ranking: No. 46
Career-High Ranking: No. 15 (2024)

Korda has only really played one full season on the ATP Tour since 2022 and that came in 2024, which comes as no surprise as that was the year he reached his career-high ranking of No. 15.

No doubt a top 10 talent, Korda's main issue is keeping is body intact for months on end at this stage.

The American started last season brightly with a runner-up finish in Adelaide and quarter-final in Miami, but a stress fracture in his shin caused him to miss Wimbledon.

Korda returned with a semi-final run in Winston-Salem, but was then forced to retire at the US Open. Crucially, the 25-year-old was able to play a full run of tournaments to end 2025, making quarter-finals in Stockholm and Tokyo, along with the semi-finals in Athens.

It was a solid start to 2026 for Korda - he defeated Valentin Vacherot and Jiri Lehecka (via retirement) to make the Brisbane quarter-finals before going down to countryman Alex Michelsen.

Thanasi Kokkinakis Form Analysis

2026 Record: 0-0
2025 Record: 3-2
ATP Adelaide Record: 14-4
Current Ranking: No. 450
Career-High Ranking: No. 65 (2023)

Literally no form to analyse for Kokkinakis, unless you count his fun little doubles hit about with Kyrgios in Brisbane last week, where the pair made the second round.

It's a little insane to think a player of Kokkinakis' talent has never even cracked the top 60 in his career, but that's all down to the luckless run of injuries and subsquent surgeries he's had to endure.

The Aussie went under the knife last year after losing an epic Australian Open second round contest with Jack Draper in five sets, spending the remainder of the year on the sidelines as his troublesome pectoral injury fully healed.

Kokkinakis will be hoping to play pain-free in 2026 and there's no better tournament to start his comeback than in Adelaide, where he captured his lone ATP title in 2022, winning four three-setters in a row.

Korda vs Kokkinakis Live Stream

Watch and bet on Sebastian Korda vs Thanasi Kokkinakis live Adelaide tennis.

You can watch and bet on the match live at Unibet > Tennis > ATP Adelaide with the action available to stream on desktop and mobile.

Geo-restrictions apply, you'll need a funded account or to have placed a bet in the last 24 hours to gain access. 18+ terms and conditions apply.

Verdict

Sebastian Korda v Thanasi Kokkinakis

Can't see Kokkinakis being too competitive in his first match back from career-threatening surgery in 12 months. Korda to prevail in straights.

Korda 2-0

Set Betting

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