Maria Sakkari criticized a Greek tennis website for their description of her and Stefanos Tsitsipas’ exits from the top-10 rankings as a “historic low” for Greek tennis. Sakkari dropped out of the top-10 for the first time in two and a half years, now ranked at No. 11 in the world. Tsitsipas also fell out of the top-10, now ranked at No. 11 for the first time since March 2019. Before leaving the top-10, Sakkari and Tsitsipas both made history as the highest-ranked Greek woman and man, respectively. Despite their achievements, Tennis24 Greece called them out for their exits from the top-10 rankings. Sakkari responded strongly, criticizing their statement and claiming it hinders the progress of tennis in their country.
Following her loss in the second round of Doha, Sakkari’s exit from the top-10 was confirmed. Shortly after, she announced on Instagram that her coach of six years, Tom Hill, would be departing. Sakkari expressed gratitude for his support and credited him for her growth as both a player and a person. Hill also expressed pride in their achievements and stated that their split was amicable, allowing them to pursue new opportunities.
Despite the disappointment in Doha, Sakkari returned to compete in the WTA 1000 event in Dubai. As the eighth-seeded player, she began her Dubai campaign with a straight-set victory over Emma Navarro. Sakkari dominated the match, breaking Navarro early in both sets and securing a comfortable win. She will now face Jasmine Paolini in the quarterfinals, aiming to bounce back from her disappointing performance in Doha.
According to the Source tennisworldusa.org