"I never thought I was gonna be as good as I am today": Maria Sakkari says it is never too late to dream big amid 'late breakthrough'
WTATuesday, 05 December 2023 at 18:15
Maria Sakkari gave motivation as a constant factor in her career during her recent stint in Mexico for the Caroline Wozniacki exhibition. The Greek ace who won in Guadalajara cited her own late breakthrough and said that it is never too late.
Sakkari told people to dream big and that you never know when your big breakthrough is going to come. Despite only winning two titles in her career which has been well documented, the Greek said that she did not expect to have the success she has had where she has become one of the most consistent players on the tour.
Returning back to Mexico after winning in Guadalajara albeit then having a disappointing time in Cancun at the WTA Finals, she continued that it is also down to the team you have around with Tom Hill being her long-time coach for instance and despite adversity, she has not chopped and changed.
“You always have to dream big. You have to follow your dreams. You have to believe in yourself. Work hard. Just never give up because great things can happen," she said to TV Azteca Deportes.
"My breakthrough came very late in my career. I never thought I was going to be as good as I am today. But because I kept working & putting in the hours, it got me to a point where I’m considered one of the best players right now. For me, that means you have to follow your dreams. You have to keep believing in yourself. Surround yourself with people who believe in you. Surround yourself with good people.”
Samuel GillEditor-in-Chief
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of TennisUpToDate.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces across the TennisUpToDate network, playing a central role in the daily operation and development of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has a broad background in tennis media. In his current role, he works closely with editors and writers to ensure coverage meets clear journalistic standards, with particular attention to verification, consistency, and timely updates when new information becomes available.
claps 2visitors 2
Just In
Popular News
Latest Comments
- Big Babe Tennis! Hoping for a good final.DaveyWavey12-09-2026
- Director needs to return to his old "job" at the Australia Open. He's clueless in NYC.
mandoist12-09-2026 - You keep writing ridiculous crap... why are you even watching tennis?mandoist12-09-2026
- They probably have a very good reason for this. I do not get it. Annoying that it finishes so late
AceOfBase12-09-2026 - I hope he wins. Would be great to have a USA winner again with the men.AceOfBase12-09-2026
- I love WTA matches. Seek them out as much as possible on youtube and other platforms I already subscribe to. With that in mind, I do not wish to pay $$$ to a notoriously slippery subscription conglomerate sports broadcaster (like SkySports) just for the privilege to watch it and the tnt/eurosport/discovery subscription went from $$ to $$$+ annually in a blink of an eye. With ATP I have been begrudgingly paying xyz tennis only channel and try to catch up on slams elsewhere (pubs, youtube with USO later on games are just as enjoyable to watch and a smart move to upload on their official channel) but they don't cover WTA. I tried another Tennis dedicated channel that advertised originally as broadcasting where I live, but turned out, they took the money, but didn't cover the matches (only fluff/filler value documentaries). I don't understand why it is so hard to not lock the live matches to one broadcaster only refusing so many people who are happy to pay for the privilege just not through that one entry point. WTA is so exciting for the last few years and they really should capitalise on it as much as possible. And I know it is somewhat naive talking without knowing the inner works, but not being able to find any WTA other than youtube (and then only highlights mostly) is just so frustrating.JayJay11-09-2026
- Clearly not AI :-)AceOfBase11-09-2026
- Oh my God!! Does anyone proofread these pages??? Case in point: However, the question mark over the 32-years-old head......???? No! No! No! However, the question mark over the 32-year-old's head...good grief man, hire a proofreader. This article is rife with errors making some sentences very difficult to read. I had to stop. I am a proofreader hence my disgust.Rapunzel10-09-2026
- Iga needs to make a decision whether she wants to continue the sport of tennis or pursue whatever she has going on in her personal life. One can tell that tennis is no longer an interest of hers. She should retire while she is on top, not when she slides to the bottom of the rankings. She has too much talent to look how she does on the court these days. She looks more like a wild card than a champion.crissy09-09-2026
- Looks like tennis has become a part of the American Oligarchy. As usual, Pegula is given a cupcake draw. With all her money, they have to fixed the draws in her favor in order to raised the trophy.crissy09-09-2026
Loading
