David Bartholow

Maria Sakkari of Greece had been a post-pandemic fixture of the WTA top 10, with fewer highs and lows than her peers in a transitional era for women’s tennis. Sakkari stayed in that top echelon from late 2021 until the 2024 U.S. Open, peaking at No. 3—and nearly reaching No. 1 when Ash Barty suddenly retired in spring 2022. Though she was one of the world’s best and Greece’s best ever, she also drew constant critiques for not winning more titles or ever reaching a major final.

Sakkari’s run in the top 10 ended when she succumbed to a season-ending shoulder injury. Though she resumed playing this year, her ranking has been falling quickly. She arrived at this week’s Charleston Open ranked 64th; after a second round loss to eighth-ranked Zheng Qinwen, she will fall out of the Top 80.

Sakkari, 29, now lives in Washington, D.C., where her boyfriend, Konstantinos Mitsotakis, is in grad school. He is the son of Greece’s prime minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, which has garnered a new sort of attention on Sakkari since their relationship began in 2020. That relationship, she says, cost her the dream of a lifetime last summer, when she was selected to be the female Greek flag bearer for the opening ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympics, only to have the honor revoked soon after, a shock that sent her spiraling and led to the shoulder injury that kept her out of the end of last season.

After chatting about their respective neighborhoods, Sakkari sat down to discuss all this and more with fellow Washingtonian Ben Rothenberg for The Second Serve:

We can talk a little bit more about D.C. later, but how are you doing? I haven’t seen you in a while. Physically, mentally, tennis-wise, how are you feeling?

I mean, obviously, I’ve been in a better place. But I’m happy that I’m healthy; that’s the most important thing. It took a few years for me to get injured. I got my first injury at 29. So that’s partially a good thing, but on the other hand, it was tough to just accept things after coming back from an injury.

My ranking obviously has dropped; I need to get it back to where it was. Not just because I want to be a top 10 tennis player again, but also I’ve been getting bad draws because I’m not seeded. I’m not high enough to avoid those players in early rounds. But at the same time, if you want to go deep into a tournament, you’ll have to beat those players no matter what round it is.

So it’s been tough. But at the same time, it was also very nice to take some time off. You know how hectic it is. Just to live a normal life and not travel every week—it was amazing. Obviously, my tennis going into the season wasn’t great. I had high hopes, but I realized pretty soon that it’s going to take time.

So I’ve been feeling very well the last few weeks, if I have to be honest with you. So I think it’s going to come. It’s just going to take a little bit more time. But I’m positive. I’m healthy. I’m feeling good. Happy. So that’s the most important thing.

You started by saying you were in a good place before. How tough is it to separate your mood and your self-confidence from your ranking? Especially because you spent so long in the top 10, very consistently, so now to see this bigger number next to your name—do you have to say, “That’s not real, I can’t worry about that too much”? It’s a challenge, I’d guess, to balance wanting to be realistic with also not wanting to be too negative or pessimistic and down on yourself.

Well, I think you go through both phases, I have to be honest. You go through that phase when you see the draws and you see that big number next to your name. But then again, you think of how so many good players have been there, so many players who have had a lot more injuries and had to do that again and again.

Like I spoke to Paula [Badosa] a couple of times earlier this year, and she was like, “Maria, what did you think, that you’re just going to come back and play like you played before?” So talking to players that have had similar situations—or worse—has given me a lot of hope.

Because I feel like, okay, I’m doing the right things. It’s not like I’m not practicing or I’m not eating well or I’m not recovering. I’m doing all the right things. I believe it’s going to come. And if it says 50, 60, 80 next to my name, it’s fine. I just have to accept it.

You’ve had such a great career. I’m wondering what you’re most proud of that you’ve done…

Hmmm. Well, obviously getting to world No. 3 was huge. And playing that final in Indian Wells, I think…the winner was, because Ash Barty…

The winner would be No. 2, and then No. 1 Barty was about to retire.

Exactly.

I was thinking about that moment today because I knew I was going to talk to you. If you’d won, I don’t know if it was automatic, because Barty was still in the rankings in Miami, so it would’ve still required a result in Miami. And then Swiatek wound up winning Miami. But who knows if something different would have happened if it had been different in Indian Wells? We don’t know.

Yes. So putting myself in that situation just made me realize how good I’ve done in my career, and the consistency. Of course, even though I’ve had some ups and downs in my last three seasons, just managing to finish up there, I think, was huge. Because you see how good tennis is nowadays: Those first rounds are so tough.

So now I see how tough it is to get back to the top 10. Now I realize how good I’d been playing all those years just to stay there.

I think a lot of times people—certainly fans or media—sometimes do focus on what players haven’t done.

Of course.

Do you have that same sort of thing in your mind sometimes? Where you think, “Oh my gosh, I haven’t…”

…won a Slam.

Won a Slam. Instead of being like, “Wow, I was in the top 10 for three years,” something like that.

I think my time off really helped me realize that. Obviously, when you’re on a roll and you just go week after week, you tend to forget. You just want more, and you just don’t have the time to just get out of that situation, that movie you’re in, and just see the real picture.

So I was just being home, being with my friends, being with my boyfriend, with my family for a good amount of time—just being outside. You know, I wasn’t jealous of the other girls playing because I was happy where I was. I was happy that I was able to have that time off that I was looking for the last few years.

You had made all sorts of history for Greek tennis, you and Stefanos [Tsitsipas] coming up, parallel, together. Is that something you’re still proud of, what you two were able to achieve? Because before, you…

Yeah. [Rubs arm] I mean, you say it, and it gives me goose bumps.

Because it really wasn’t, before you two—your mom [Angeliki Kanellopoulou, former WTA No. 43] obviously was a good player too, but it wasn’t that level that both of you had at the same time.

Exactly. I think it was huge. Going into that first [2023] United Cup, being the highest seed because we were both No. 3 in the world. I mean, I really hope people back in Greece realize [the significance of] that, because it’s huge.

When you’re competing against countries like the U.S. or France or Germany, they’re big, they have big tennis history. And I’m just very proud of both of us, because tennis is now probably the third most popular sport in Greece, behind basketball and soccer. It’s big. I see that everyone plays tennis, everyone watches tennis, and I’m very proud of the work that we’ve done.

I was reading an article about you from Indian Wells about the Olympics and the opening ceremony and what happened there.

Oh yeah.

You were saying that that was something that you felt led to the stress that caused your injury. How much is that something that you’re still thinking about or disappointed about? Seems like it was a clear negative inflection moment in your career—not to bring up all the negative stuff.

No, no, no, of course. No, it’s fine, and I’m actually glad that you’re asking me, because it’s also very important for me to talk about it. In Indian Wells was the first time I really opened up about it.

People around the world have different kinds of problems, and that probably to someone is, like, nothing. But to me, I’m a very proud Greek. So when I was growing up, being the flag bearer for my country was my No. 1 dream. So when I got the call that I was going to be next to Giannis [Antetokounmpo], I was like, “Wow, this is the biggest thing that has ever happened in my career.”

And then everything got ruined because of my relationship, for political reasons. That really hurt me because I think every athlete deserves to be a flag bearer. Like going into the Olympics, everyone deserves it the same. I just felt like it wasn’t because I’m not a good tennis player, it was because some people didn’t want to support me because of who I’m dating. And to be honest, I have the best boyfriend in the world. I’m so happy he’s part of my life, and I wouldn’t change him, no matter what—I don’t care. He has been a very important person in my life and in my career.

So it was tough. I think my injury really—okay, it was overuse, physically. And also mentally, I was just broken. I just couldn’t take it. I was miserable in Paris. I just hated every minute of it. And you’re supposed to be in the biggest celebration of the sports and you’re just there, miserable. I just couldn’t. Yeah, it was tough.

Did you ever talk to or get any explanation from the Greek Olympic Committee?

Not really. And if I’m honest, I don’t want to. The previous president that called me and actually told me that I was selected, we’re still in touch. He really supports me. And I knew a lot of people that were really supportive in this. Obviously, I know why I was withdrawn last minute: There was a vote against me—which has never, ever happened in the history before.

And it’s not like you had some scandal or something that you did.

No, no. And I feel like politics has to stay out of sports. There’s [athletes] voting for this party or the other one—it doesn’t [matter] because they’re representing the country, no matter what their beliefs are.

So it was tough. And I’ll be honest, it was very tough for everyone around me and my family. I think it still hurts me a lot, but we’ll see. I will see about Los Angeles, but I will have to play really, really well in order to get a chance again to get the flag. It’s not going to be easy, for sure.

What has it been like being in this new world through your boyfriend, this political world? That’s a whole different space and part of the culture than I’d guess you’ve been in before. What have you made of this new world that you see through your connection to him?

We’re not so involved. He also tries to leave me outside of this world, which I really appreciate. But obviously I know—and I want to be aware of—what happens in the world. Not only in Greece, but being a tennis player, I don’t want to be limited on my knowledge.

And I’m supported by his family and everyone; they’re amazing people. They love me so much, and I love them, too. I see them as his parents. I don’t see his dad as the prime minister; I see him as his dad. And I see how nice they’ve been to me and how kind. And that’s all I keep for myself; nothing else, nothing more. But it’s fascinating, because he’s at the [Georgetown University] Foreign Service School, so it’s also nice to have someone that is not in tennis in your life, trust me. So I’m very happy with where I am in my personal life, and I’m just very proud of the work he’s putting in.

Did I see you two went to an Inaugural Ball? What was that like?

Yeah, we went because we had to represent his family. I had to go as his plus-one, obviously. No matter what you vote for or what you believe, it was for me—as a Greek person that has no place there, in a way—it was a nice experience no matter who the president is. Because I don’t feel like I will be given that chance again. I was there. I feel like it’s a [once-in-a-]lifetime experience.

As I said, no matter who you vote for, I just feel it happens once in your life. And life is all about experiences, and it doesn’t really matter where you stand.

When people are talking about you in this new political context, how do you keep your peace and your sanity and block out the noise? It can be very noisy around you sometimes for someone who doesn’t seem like they’re really asking for a lot of attention or controversy directly.

The thing is that because I’ve been with my boyfriend for a while, I feel like in Greece—because it’s mainly in Greece, let’s be honest; fans abroad don’t care who I’m dating—in the beginning there was noise behind it, but nowadays I feel we’ve been together for so long, so people don’t comment about it.

But it’s fine. I’m okay with some people not liking me because they support another party; not that it should be that way, but I don’t really care, to be honest. As I told you, I’m just happy with the person I am. And he makes me happy, and I make him happy.

And then on the tennis side, too, when people are saying, “She should win more, she’s overrated,” or whatever people say. How do you block that out?

You know, people are always going to say something. Like, even if I get back to top 5, they’re going to say, “Okay, yes, but she doesn’t have a Grand Slam.” Or “She’s never made it past the semifinal of a Grand Slam.” And even if you do win a Grand Slam, they’re going to say, “Yeah, but she [hasn’t won] a Grand Slam on grass court” or something.

You know this because you follow media all the time. If someone wants to say something, they’re always going to. Like, there’s negative comments about Djokovic. Like, what else does this guy have to prove? It’s just the world we live in right now.

So we have to accept it, and just keep going.