"I remember I won that match and the only one who was clapping was my coach" - Sakkari on feeling 'intimidated' defeating Serena Williams

Playing a native player at an event is a very tricky thing to do and Maria Sakkari knows all about it recalling a 2020 instance.

The Greek player played an American on American soil at the WTA Finals and it's something that is quite intimidating to do. She handled it well this time around winning the match but that was not the case when she scored one of the biggest wins of her career.

She played Serena Williams at the 2020 Cincinnati event but there were no crowds because of COVID. It made things easier for her with no fans but she was still intimated:

"Yes, I was (intimidated). I was unlucky that it was during the bubble so we didn't have any crowd. I remember I won that match and the only one who was clapping was my coach."

She remembers it well due to the magnitude of the win but also because there was nobody in the stands to witness it properly:

"It was pretty sad, wasn't it? It was the biggest win of my career and there was just one person supporting me. I remember before playing her second time in two weeks before walking on-court, she was just ready to beat me. I was a break up in the third set and I choked. I was nervous."