History of Maria Sakkari in Timeline
"Maria Sakkari is a professional tennis player from Greece. She holds the distinction of being the highest-ranked Greek tennis player ever, having reached the No. 3 spot in the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) rankings on March 21, 2022. This accomplishment places her alongside Stefanos Tsitsipas as the top-ranked Greek players. In addition to her singles success, she achieved a career-high ranking of No. 169 in doubles on September 9, 2019."
July 1995: Birth and Family Background
Maria Sakkari was born in July 1995 in Athens, Greece to Angelikí Kanellopoúlou, a former top-50 tennis player, and Konstantinos Sakkaris. She was introduced to tennis at the age of six.
July 1995: Birth of Maria Sakkari
Maria Sakkari was born in July 1995 in Athens, Greece, to parents with a strong tennis background.
2012: Fed Cup Debut
Sakkari made her debut representing Greece in the Fed Cup in 2012.
2012: DESMOS Charity Association Founding
The charity association DESMOS was founded in 2012 to support vulnerable social groups through various initiatives and programs.
July 11, 2016: Wimbledon Debut and Career High Ranking
Maria Sakkari qualified for Wimbledon in 2016 and won her first match at the tournament against Zheng Saisai. Though she lost in the second round to Venus Williams, her performance propelled her to a career-high ranking of 97 on July 11, 2016.
2016: First WTA Tour Quarterfinal
In 2016, Maria Sakkari secured her second WTA Tour win at the Istanbul Cup, defeating top seed Anna Karolína Schmiedlová. She went on to reach her first WTA Tour quarterfinal but lost to Danka Kovinić.
2016: Early Career and First WTA Tour Win
Maria Sakkari started the 2016 season by qualifying for the Australian Open and winning her first-ever WTA Tour match against Wang Yafan. This victory also marked her first win in a Grand Slam main draw.
October 2017: First WTA Tour Semifinal and Top 50 Ranking
Maria Sakkari reached her first WTA Tour semifinal at the 2017 Wuhan Open, defeating players like Caroline Wozniacki and Elena Vesnina. This success pushed her into the top 50 of the WTA rankings, reaching No. 50 in October 2017.
2017: Maria Sakkari's Breakthrough at the Wuhan Open
Maria Sakkari reached the semifinals of the 2017 Wuhan Open, securing her first top-10 win by defeating Caroline Wozniacki.
2017: Reaching the Third Round of a Grand Slam
Maria Sakkari reached the third round of a Grand Slam tournament for the first time at the 2017 Australian Open, where she lost to Mirjana Lučić-Baroni. This marked her progression in Grand Slam events.
2018: Strong Performance at Indian Wells
At the 2018 Indian Wells Open, Maria Sakkari delivered a notable performance by defeating higher-ranked players like Donna Vekić, Ashleigh Barty, and CoCo Vandeweghe, ultimately reaching the fourth round where she lost to Naomi Osaka.
2018: Consistent Grand Slam Performance and Top 10 Victory
In 2018, Maria Sakkari reached the third round of the French Open, marking her third consecutive Grand Slam appearance reaching that stage. She also achieved her second victory over a top-ten player by defeating Karolína Plíšková at the Italian Open.
2018: Reaching Another WTA Semifinal and Finishing the Year in Top 50
Maria Sakkari reached another WTA semifinal at the 2018 Korea Open, demonstrating her consistent performance throughout the year. She finished 2018 ranked No. 41, solidifying her position within the top 50.
September 2019: Maria Sakkari Achieves Career High Doubles Ranking
In September 2019, Maria Sakkari reached her career-high doubles ranking of world No. 169.
2019: Maria Sakkari Reaches Another Premier 5 Semifinal
Maria Sakkari reached the semifinals of another Premier 5 tournament at the 2019 Italian Open, defeating notable players like Petra Kvitová.
2019: WTA Tour
Maria Sakkari reached her first final since 2019 at the Ostrava Open in September 2021, where she ended up as the runner-up after losing to Anett Kontaveit.
2019: Sakkari Becomes DESMOS Ambassador
In 2019, Maria Sakkari became the first ambassador for DESMOS, a charity association established in 2012 that supports vulnerable social groups.
2020: French Open
In 2020 at the French Open, Sakkari achieved her first Grand Slam semifinal after consecutively defeating Katarina Zavatska, Jasmine Paolini, Elise Mertens, Sofia Kenin, and defending champion Iga Świątek. This victory marked the end of Świątek's 11-match and 22-set winning streak at Roland Garros. This accomplishment made Sakkari the first Greek woman to reach a Grand Slam singles quarterfinal and subsequently the semifinal. Notably, this tournament also marked the first time in major tennis history that two Greek players, Sakkari and Stefanos Tsitsipas, reached the semifinals of a Grand Slam championship.
2020: Maria Sakkari's Strong Service Game
In 2020, Maria Sakkari served the sixth most aces among all WTA players, hitting 144 aces in 31 matches, showcasing her strong service game.
2020: Maria Sakkari's Consistent Grand Slam Performance
Maria Sakkari reached the fourth round of both the Australian and US Opens in 2020, demonstrating consistent performance in Grand Slam tournaments.
September 2021: Ostrava Open
At the September 2021 Ostrava Open, Sakkari triumphed over top seed Iga Świątek, marking her second victory against Świątek that year, following her win in the French Open quarterfinals at Roland Garros. This win marked her seventh victory against a top-10 player and eleventh against a top-20 player in that season. This tournament was significant as it was her first final since 2019, ending a streak of nine consecutive semifinal losses in WTA tournaments. Despite her strong performance, she was defeated by Anett Kontaveit in the final.
September 2021: US Open
During the September 2021 US Open, Sakkari secured her place in her second major semifinal after defeating Karolína Plíšková, the No. 4 seed. In an impressive run, she had previously defeated No. 6 seed Bianca Andreescu and No. 10 seed Petra Kvitová, maintaining an undefeated record against top-5 opponents that year. Sakkari's victory against Plíšková marked her third consecutive win over a top-10 seed. This win also made her the first Greek woman to advance to the semifinals of the US Open. However, she faced defeat against Emma Raducanu in straight sets.
2021: WTA Finals
In 2021, Maria Sakkari achieved a significant milestone by becoming the first Greek woman to qualify for the WTA Finals. During the tournament, she advanced to the semifinals after a hard-fought victory against Aryna Sabalenka in three sets.
2021: Maria Sakkari Makes History at Grand Slams
In 2021, Maria Sakkari became the first Greek woman to reach a Grand Slam semifinal, achieving this feat at both the French and US Opens.
March 2022: Maria Sakkari Achieves Career High Ranking
On March 2022, Maria Sakkari reached a career-high ranking of world No. 3, becoming the highest-ranked Greek tennis player in history.
August 2022: Tennis Plays for Peace Exhibition
In August 2022, Maria Sakkari participated in the "Tennis Plays for Peace" exhibition alongside renowned tennis players such as Rafael Nadal, Carlos Alcaraz, Coco Gauff, John McEnroe, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Matteo Berrettini, and Iga Świątek, among others. The event, held on August 24, aimed to raise funds for GlobalGiving, an international non-profit organization.
January 13, 2023: Maria Sakkari Featured in Break Point Docuseries
Maria Sakkari was featured in the Netflix docuseries "Break Point," which premiered on January 13, 2023, offering insights into her life and career.
September 2023: Guadalajara Open
As of September 2023, Maria Sakkari's only tournament win was at the Morocco Open.
2023: Maria Sakkari Wins WTA 1000 Title
Maria Sakkari won her first WTA 1000 title at the 2023 Guadalajara Open.
2023: United Cup and Australian Open
Sakkari commenced 2023 by representing Greece at the United Cup. The Greek team reached the semifinals, where they were ultimately eliminated by Italy. In the Australian Open, Sakkari's journey ended in the third round with a loss to world No. 87, Zhu Lin.