Maria Sakkari aims high for the North American swing

However, she has her sights set even higher as a crucial part of the season approaches with the North American swing. Sakkari will participate at all 3 North American Masters 1000 events as well as the US Open and the Greek players has high expectations.

Asked to recap the Olympic experiene Sakkari said:

"It was a unique experience. Coming from Greece—the birthplace of the Olympics—it was very emotional. I didn’t get to go to the Opening Ceremonies because I was playing the following day, but I did get to trade pins and meet so many amazing athletes in the Village."

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Her best result in 2021 came at Roland Garros where she bowed out to eventual champion Barbora Krejcikova in the semifinal. Asked about that she said:

“I didn’t sleep for three days. I was a point away from playing a Grand Slam final and I have to admit it still hurts, but if I keep playing at that level and channel that mental level I was able to achieve at the French, I’ll have more chances. Who knows? Maybe one day I’ll lift the trophy.”

Known as a fierce competitor and very emotional player Sakkari admitted that finding the right balance is tough. She explained the dynamic:

“When I’m nice to myself I play well and I can go deep in tournaments. When I’m hard on myself, that’s when I have a tougher time competing. It’s a matter of how nice I am to myself and how much I support myself on my journey and through my work every day.”

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With a crucial part of the season coming up Sakkari is excited and ready as she generally enjoys this time of the year. She said:

“I really like these tournaments: Canada, Cincinnati and US Open. It’s probably one of my favorite swings of the year, so I’m very excited to do well here. I’m excited to finally have my first win in Canada, too!”