In Conversation with Maria Sakkari

The Nottingham Open - whose main draw kicks off today, has historically been a happy hunting ground for Greek player Maria Sakkari. 3 times a quarterfinalist at the tournament, I was lucky enough to get some insights from her, in regards to her tennis past, present and future.

(Image credit to @australianopen on Instagram)

Just a year ago, Sakkari found herself at a career low. She was recovering from a shoulder injury, having to play qualifier rounds for tournaments she once was a direct entry to, and in her own words, “that wasn’t fun if I’m honest!”She’d been a constant fixture in the world’s top 20 for over three years prior to the injury, trading wins and losses with some of the sport’s very best. But August 2024 saw all of this progress halted, instead facing rounds of rehabilitation and a fight to regain the status she once held within the world’s elite.

Opening up about just what the journey was like, Sakkari admitted “I was struggling a lot. I almost fell outside of the top 100, with having to play quali’s in a few tournaments”, but lamented that “it was a process I had to go through, like a lot of players”. It is no secret that the tour schedule is intense, but despite all this, Sakkari maintains that she’s “still having fun playing tennis, doing what I’m doing and what I love.” - and it shows what she’s done in 2026.

First was the United Cup, where she recorded impressive victories over Naomi Osaka and Emma Raducanu - both former grand slam winners. This was the first warning sign to the tennis world that she was back, but little did they know what would come the next month. 

In Sakkari’s own words, she’s “had some good results this year” - but that doesn’t do justice to the magnitude of her run in Doha. It was the first time since April 2024 that she’d been in the semifinals of any tournament - and the journey to get there was incredible. Not only did she beat world number 8 Jasmine Paolini in the Round of 32, she then decided to go one better in her quarterfinals match - by defeating Iga Swiatek, she claimed the best win of her career by ranking, and it launched her back to world number 34. And just three weeks ago at the French open, Sakkari claimed yet another notable victory, this time over world #12 Linda Noskova.

Looking ahead to her Nottingham Open campaign, Sakkari’s Round 1 opponent was a player who has many parallels to the Greek - which she highlighted in our interview. Was set to face off against Chinese player Zheng Qinwen - the 2024 Olympic Gold Medallist who’s also in recovery for an elbow injury.

Her praises were high for Zheng, who she called “a very good player” and added that they “both play very aggressive, we’re very good athletes”. As for what could make the difference between winning or losing, the answer was simple - “its just that ‘who’s gonna be a little bit more solid but at the same time a little bit more aggressive.’” - adding on that it’s “a very tough opening match, but at the same time, a huge challenge” and that she’s “very ready and up for it!”The final part of the interview focused on the newly announced WTA 250 tournament in Athens, which saw the WTA return to Greece for the first time since 1990. Sakkari could not hide her delight at the news, stating that “for me it’s a dream coming true!”But it’s not just a major event for her - it’s just as big of a deal for the Greek tennis community to finally have tennis at home, especially with a national hero at the forefront. 

“I really hope there’s gonna be a lot of kids who can come out and watch, not just myself but other players as well, just to you know, as you said, get inspired” - those were her words addressing the possibility of the tournament inspiring the Greek public, and it definitely rings true. Greece have only had two players break into the world’s top 3 - Stefanos Tsitsipas, and Sakkari herself. There’s so much potential for the country to produce a new generation of talent, but they need the fuel for the inspiration - something which this event in Athens can do.

I only wish Maria the best in her future endeavours this year, both for the Nottingham Open and for the rest of the year. Her talent is still as prevalent as ever, and her desire for a breakout result on grass is ever present - she even admitted “I always have the mentality of going into a tournament trying to win the tournament” - so I can only hope that this summer is the one where she finally gets a grass title to her name.

Article written by Zoë Gray