Maria Sakkari is in perfect physical health. She shouldn’t have any injuries right now, therefore her form should be OK. However, despite the Greek’s victory in the opening set, she lost to unseeded Varvara Gracheva at the French Open’s opening round. Sakkari seemed to be playing well up until that point.
Sakkari has been ranked as high as No. 3, and she is now the 7th player in the WTA. Although she rarely wins a tournament, she is always a threat to advance far. In her professional career, the 28-year-old has only won two tournaments. Her mental focus must be the problem if her physical fitness isn’t.
The Greek holds that opinion, but the difficulty is that she is unsure of how to fix it. Despite her history as a strong clay court player, she lost in the first round of the French Open for the second year in a row. The Rabat Open was one of her titles; it was made of clay. In 2021, she even advanced to the semifinals of Roland Garros.
Maria Sakkari opens up about her difficulties during games.
Sakkari has gained a reputation as a skilled player who struggles to win matches. She has only won 20% of her opportunities to hoist a trophy, despite having advanced to the finals of ten competitions. She has only twice advanced to the Grand Slam semifinals, therefore she has also suffered a number of unexpected losses. She was eliminated in the first round of the US Open, Wimbledon, and French Open in 2023.
If a physical injury is not expected to last a long time, it may be easier to deal with emotionally. Sakkari could at least blame her early departures from Grand Slams on any wrist or ankle issues she may have had. Rather, she is more concerned. She seems to mentally remove herself from matches before they even start.