SUMMARY
- Maria Sakkari dropped out of the top ten rankings for the first time in two and a half years.
- She hit back at a media outlet for their statement on social media.
Greek tennis player Maria Sakkari has had to contend with a string of failures of late. Consequently, Sakkari, along with her compatriot, Stefanos Tsitsipas, dropped out of the top ten rankings. However, Maria did not take well to a comment speaking of the decline of Greek tennis and lashed out.
Sakkari and Stefanos are the faces of Greek tennis, and they have enjoyed a similar career path so far. Tsitsipas was in the top ten for five years continuously, and Maria for two and a half. During this time, the duo brought pride and honor to their country, but all athletes go through low periods. This just happens to be their trough period after being at the top of the game for so long.
Both Sakkari and Tsitsipas have failed to live up to their potential for a while. As a result, when the rankings were updated, both players fell out of the top ten. In light of this news, an account took to X to call this development a “historic low” for Greek tennis.
Ιστορικό χαμηλό για την Ελλάδα στις κατατάξεις ανδρών και γυναικών, τα τελευταία δυόμιση χρόνια. @steftsitsipas και @mariasakkari βγήκαν εκτός πρώτης 10αδας καταλαμβάνοντας και οι δύο την 11η θέση σε #ATPRankings και #WTARankings αντίστοιχα από σήμερα. #Tsitsipas #Sakkari pic.twitter.com/N0UEN5Bnmq
— Tennis24 (@tennis24gr) February 19, 2024
This comment did not sit well with Sakkari, who fired back at them, calling it “laughable.” She was not impressed by the thoughtless comment; she also stated that this was the reason tennis would not progress in the country.
“Did you give this much thought before writing it? Because of this, tennis will not go forward in our country. You are laughable!” she wrote in reply.
Το σκεφτήκατε πολύ αυτό πριν το γράψετε; Για αυτό το τέννις δε θα πάει μπροστά στη χώρα μας. Είστε για γέλια!
— Maria Sakkari (@mariasakkari) February 19, 2024
With Stefanos out, there are no more one-handed backhand players in the top ten. As for Maria Sakkari, she has made drastic changes to her team, hoping to get her career back on track soon.
Maria Sakkari parts ways with her coach
Sakkari and her coach, Tom Hill, have parted ways after six years. Their partnership saw Maria break into the top ten of the WTA rankings and reach her career-best rank of No. 3. Moreover, Maria made it to two Grand Slam semifinals and won two titles, including her first WTA 1000 title under him.
Unfortunately, Maria’s form has declined, and she has been on a three-match losing streak. Sakkari took to Instagram to announce the end of their working relationship. She thanked him for his support and for helping her grow, on and off the court.
View this post on Instagram
Hill congratulated Maria and added that he was proud of how much they had achieved together. “We both believe this is a step forward in our respective paths, allowing us to explore new opportunities and exciting challenges that lie ahead,” he wrote on Instagram.
Maria Sakkari’s path ahead will not be easy, but she is a fighter. The player will hope the revamp works out quickly and she gets back to her winning ways. Sakkari is currently competing at the Dubai Open.