For Maria Sakkari, it has been a long road from being a top five player and one of the elite to falling out of the top 80 as all her points fell off amid a shoulder injury. But she could well be back on a week where she has rejoined her old coach at the Madrid Open.
Sakkari has eased past Jasmine Paolini 6-2, 6-1 to reach the Last 16 of the Madrid Open in what is already going to be a vital week for her chances for the rest of the year.
The Greek hit back at the notion last month on social media that it'd be a struggle to return to her previous heights citing her shoulder injury which kept her out for most of the end of last season and gave her an uphill struggle on return.
But Sakkari has her first top 10 win of 2025 in what is the fewest amount of games also conceded in a top 10 win in her career. She is having what is coined in football as the new manager bounce.
Albeit it is a familiar face over anyone new as Tom Hill has rejoined her. Sakkari made the step for obvious reasons to look elsewhere last year after it seemed like their partnership had ran its course.
She sought out the services of David Witt but despite reaching the final of Indian Wells and the latter stages of Miami, her issue with playing well at Grand Slams remained and she lost early at Roland Garros. A coaching merry go round began from Sergi Bruguera to Raemon Sluiter, the latter of course working with Elina Svitolina during her resurgence.
But Hill recently leaving Peyton Stearns brought the dream team back together. The Brit had been working with the American and they had success winning Rabat ironically a tournament that Sakkari also won earlier in her career.
Stearns herself since hiring a new coach has thrived this week and could yet join Sakkari in the Last 16. But it is an ominous sign for Sakkari that she was able to dent Paolini's resolve with such ease.
Paolini was superb in Stuttgart last week and also has Marc Lopez in her corner during the clay but it is three straight match wins for Sakkari since Charleston 2024 and the confidence grows. Next up could be Elena Rybakina who faces Elina Svitolina this afternoon.
Match Statistics Sakkari vs. Paolini
| Sakkari | VS | Paolini |
|---|---|---|
| Service | ||
| 6 | Aces | 0 |
| 2 | Double Faults | 1 |
| 57% (31/54) | 1st Service Percentage | 64% (38/59) |
| 61% (19/31) | 1st Service Points Won | 39% (15/38) |
| 63% (12/19) | 2nd Service Points Won | 43% (9/21) |
| 80% (4/5) | Break Points Saved | 54% (7/13) |
| 86% (6/7) | Service Games | 25% (2/8) |
| Return | ||
| 61% (23/38) | 1st Return Points Won | 39% (12/31) |
| 57% (12/21) | 2nd Return Points Won | 37% (7/19) |
| - | Break Points Saved | - |
| Other | ||
| 1h 21m | Match Duration | 1h 21m |
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.
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