Sakkari: "I've learned to live a somewhat more normal life"

Maria Sakkari defeated Marina Stakusic at the Houston tournament with a score of 6-3, 6-2.

The Greek player has dropped significantly in the WTA rankings—once ranked 3rd in the world, she now sits at 64th.

In the post-match press conference, she addressed this: "Things haven’t gone very well since the last Olympics, where I suffered an injury that lingered for the following months.

I admit I made a mistake trying to keep playing tournaments, like at the US Open, for example, where I got injured again.

In the end, the smartest move was to take a breather, pause, and only return the following season.

It was a good decision to step back a bit, but my ranking suffered—now I face tougher draws.

I strongly believe in my abilities; I’m confident I can return to the level I was at before, I just need time.

I experienced the first injury of my career—I’ve always been healthy—so these past months brought me new experiences.

During my injury, I learned to live a somewhat more normal life, like any human being. For example, I spent time with friends I never had the chance to see before.

I matured during this period; now I see things much more clearly, both on and off the court.

This extra time is essential because when you’re traveling on tour, you don’t have time to reflect—everything is pressure, tension, and stress.

You move from one country to another without stopping to decompress. It’s tough, but I don’t want to complain because, in the end, we have a life full of privileges and comfort. Still, I admit that disconnecting from time to time is beneficial to savor life a little more."

In the next round, Sakkari will face Qinwen Zheng.