Hometown hero Thanasi Kokkinakis will return to Centre Court under lights on Day 3 of the Adelaide International, kickstarting a bumper night session as South Australia’s favourite continues his comeback on home soil.
Back in singles action after an extended absence following pectoral reattachment surgery, Kokkinakis will take on Monaco’s fifth seed Valentin Vacherot for the second time in 48 hours, buoyed by the crowd after a gritty three-set victory over Sebastian Korda on Monday night, 3-6 6-3 7-6(3).
The former champion showed trademark resolve as he persisted through obvious pain in that win, digging deep in a contest that underlined why he remains one of the tournament’s most popular figures and a proven performer in Adelaide.
"Playing your home tournament, the only title I won in singles, it makes it really hard to just be like, 'Yeah, I think I'll stop here',” he said.
Following Kokkinakis v Vacherot, compatriots Maya Joint and Ajla Tomljanovic will face off in an all-Australian battle for a quarterfinal berth.
Tomljanovic has a 2-1 head-to-head record against Joint.
"I've played her three times," Joint said. "Yeah, I mean, it's always tough playing a friend. "I think we've had pretty good matches each time.
"Always difficult having to play someone that you know, playing another Aussie."
Joint, the top-ranked Aussie woman, notched her first victory of 2026 following an illness-impacted, winless United Cup campaign, beating American Sofia Kenin 7-6(3) 6-3.
After her meteoric rise in 2025, 19-year-old Joint is ready to embrace the heightened expectation this season, citing a quote from one of the sport's legends as her inspiration.
"I definitely feel some extra pressure," Joint said. "But like Billie Jean [King] said, pressure is a privilege, so got to just take it positively."
Joint was a three-year-old girl living in Michigan with her sports-loving parents when Tomljanovic turned pro.
The more senior Australian advanced to the round-of-16 on Day 1 after opponent Clara Tauson withdrew with a back injury after surrendering a first-set tiebreak.
Tomljanovic closely observed Joint's stunning rise from nowhere in 2025 and couldn't have been more impressed.
"She's had an incredible year, and just the way she's handled the pressure I think is amazing," Tomljanovic said.
"It will be interesting to see how she does this year.
"When girls get to know you a bit more it is definitely a tougher year to almost back it up. I always say, when you have such a great year you shouldn't go into it thinking, 'I have to do even better', because that's hard.
"If she can just keep playing well and not really focus on all the noise, I think she will have another great year."
Daria Kasatkina will also be flying the Australian flag when she takes on Romanian qualifier Jaqueline Cristian in the opening fixture on Centre Court. Kasatkina has a 3-0 record against Cristian.
World No.9 Madison Keys opens her title defence against Czech teenager Tereza Valentova, the pair playing each other for the first time.
Meanwhile, good friends Tommy Paul and Reilly Opelka will lock swords in an all-American stoush on Showcourt 1.
Paul, the second seed, took out the pair's only previous meeting at last year's Dallas Open.
On Court 4, Gold Coast wildcard Kimberly Birrell faces unseeded 2023 Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova.
Don’t miss out on the chance to be part of one of the most exciting tournaments of the year. Tickets for the Adelaide International are on sale via Ticketmaster.