"I couldn't sleep for three days, I was so nervous and so sad": Sakkari 'retired for four days' after 2021 French Open disappointment

Maria Sakkari admitted in the recently premiered Netflix series Breaking Point that she retired from tennis for four years after missing out on the French Open.

Sakkari's best chance to win a grand slam came in 2021 when Barbora Krejcikova ended up beating her. The Czech player won the event in the end which is her only singles grand slam trophy to date. Sakkari was favoured in that match and had a pretty good chance to win having had a match point.

Speaking in Breaking Point, Sakkari said:

“I was struggling because I could see the finish line, but then I couldn’t win the match. My mind would go so far that I couldn’t close it out. I was too excited. I was nearly there, but not there at the same time."

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Sakkariwas in a very bad place mentally after the loss bsaically retiring from the sport for four days:

“I just didn’t know how to handle that situation. I couldn’t sleep for three days. I was just lying in bed and trying to sleep, but I was so nervous and so sad. It was tough for me to handle, and I told my coaches that I want to retire from tennis. I retired for four days. I was on a Greek island, and I said, ‘Okay, when can we start practicing again? I’m coming back from retirement.’ That’s what we’ve been calling it."

She's now fully focused on the sport hoping to still win a grand slam one day.

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