'Massive talent': Thanasi Kokkinakis, Jenson Brooksby exit Miami Open with praise from Alexander Zverev, Daniil Medvedev

Published 31/03/2022 at 10:02 GMT

Alexander Zverev and Daniil Medvedev were both full of praise for Thanasi Kokkinakis and Jenson Brooksby after they beat them at the Miami Open. Kokkinakis is playing regularly on the ATP Tour after several injury-hit years and won his first career title in Adelaide in January. Brooksby has soared up the rankings in the last year and has impressed several players and pundits.

Highlights: Zverev eases past Kokkinakis to reach Miami quarter-finals

Thanasi Kokkinakis and Jenson Brooksby may have exited the Miami Open in the round of 16, but they did so with ringing endorsements from two of tennis’ top players.

Kokkinakis, 25, saw his five-match winning run at the Masters 1000 event - which started in qualifying - ended by world No. 4 Alexander Zverev.

The last few years of Kokkinakis’ career have been blighted by injuries, and with 12 victories this season he has already nearly matched his total of 14 from 2017 to 2021.

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He also lifted his first ATP title earlier this year in his hometown of Adelaide and won the Australian Open men’s doubles with childhood friend Nick Kyrgios. His run at the Miami Open will see him move back into the top 100 in the world and close to his career-high of 69, which he achieved as a 19-year-old in 2015.

Zverev is predicting big things for Kokkinakis.

“He will be at the top of the game very shortly, I think,” said the German after their first career ATP meeting.

“I think he's going to be top 50, top 20. Then we will see how it goes. He has a massive game. He is obviously a massive talent which was hindered by injuries. I wish him nothing but the best.”

Kokkinakis is still in action at the Miami Open in the men’s doubles semi-finals with Kyrgios. He will then turn his attentions to the clay season, which Kyrgios is not set to play.

There was also praise for upcoming American Brooksby after he lost to world No.2 Daniil Medvedev in the last 16 of the Miami Open.

Brooksby, 21, was 5-3 up in the first set before the match got away from him and Medvedev managed to win 7-5 6-1.

Brooksby and Medvedev are two of the more unorthodox hitters on tour, and the Russian was full of appreciation for his opponent, who was outside the top 200 a year ago and is now in the top 40.

“Jenson has the potential to be a top player,” Medvedev said in his on-court interview. “He is really good and plays better than his ranking. I knew it was not going to be an easy match. I had no solutions at the beginning.”

Jenson Brooksby has shot up the rankings over the last year

Image credit: Getty Images

“His strength is definitely, and that's the most important in tennis, put the ball in the right spot. In the beginning, that's what he was doing great. He was hitting corners, aggressive, some winners, not much I could do.”

He added to Tennis Channel: “In tennis we can many times talk about aggression, style, beautiful drop shots and winners, but the most important thing is to put the ball in the corner and put your opponent in the trouble.

“Jenson is really good in putting the ball in play. He is aggressive when he needs to be and defensive when he needs to be. I really like his game style, he is still learning and already in the top 40, and he kind of just started. I remember I saw him the first time in Washington.”

Brooksby is one of a crop of several young promising Americans.

Taylor Fritz, 24, won Indian Wells earlier this month and is up to No. 13 in the world while Reilly Opelka, 24, is in the top 20. Sebastian Korda, 21, made the last 32 at the Miami Open and very nearly beat Rafael Nadal at Indian Wells, while Frances Tiafoe, 24, was beaten in the last 16 in Miami.

Andy Murray and Andre Agassi’s former coach Brad Gilbert thinks Brooksby could be the best prospect.

“If you asked me at the start of the 2022 who would have been the best-ranked American it would have been Jenson Brooksby,” Gilbert said on the Holding Court with Patrick McEnroe podcast.

“I think Brooksby and Korda have the most upside but I didn’t see this little jump that Taylor Fritz has made and Reilly Opelka too. I see those as the first four.

“I do think a good thing is they are jockeying – who will be that guy to make the Slam quarters or semis first? This is the best six or seven guys we have had in a long time.

“If Jenson or Korda both develop a 135 bomb [on serve] I’m ready to say either one of them are the one-two. But that’s a big if because neither of them has a bomb and they have size. If I had to take one probably it would be Jenson.”

Murray has also said that he has been impressed by Brooksby.

"Brooksby is the sort of player I love to watch," former world No.1 Murray tweeted last year. "Lots of variety..high tennis IQ….great in defence."

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