Maria Sakkari Bio
Maria Sakkari is a Greek professional tennis player who has reached a career-high singles ranking of No. 3 in the world, a mark she first achieved on 21 March 2022. She is the highest-ranked Greek woman in WTA history and is recognized for her aggressive, all-court playing style built around a strong serve and powerful groundstrokes. Across her career, Sakkari has won two singles titles on the WTA Tour, including a prestigious WTA 1000 crown at the 2023 Guadalajara Open, and she represented Greece at the Olympic Games in Tokyo 2021 and Paris 2024.
Early Life and Background
Maria Sakkari was born on 25 July 1995 in Athens, Greece, to a family with deep roots in tennis. Her mother, Angelikí Kanellopoúlou, was a former top-50 WTA player, and her maternal grandfather, Dimitris Kanellopoulos, was also a professional tennis player. Her father, Konstantinos Sakkaris, supported her early development, and she grew up alongside a brother, Yannis, and a sister, Amanda, in a household shaped by the sport.
Sakkari was introduced to tennis by her parents at the age of six and quickly took to the game. Growing up, she named Serena Williams, Roger Federer, and Rafael Nadal as her favorite players, and she has said that her preferred surfaces are hard courts and clay, with the serve being her favorite shot. At the age of 18, she moved to Barcelona to train at a higher level, a step that helped lay the foundation for her professional career.
Path to Tennis
Sakkari’s junior pathway was shaped by family mentorship and international training. After years of learning the game in Greece, her move to Barcelona at 18 placed her in a more competitive European environment and allowed her to test herself against stronger peers. She made her WTA Tour main-draw debut in 2015 by qualifying for the US Open, an early marker of the progress she had made since relocating.
Her first WTA Tour match win came at the 2016 Australian Open, where she defeated Wang Yafan in the first round. Within the same year, she broke into the top 100 of the WTA rankings for the first time, climbing to No. 97 on 11 July 2016. By the end of 2017, she had pushed into the top 50, setting the stage for bigger results on the WTA Tour.
Maria Sakkari Career
Early Career (2015–2017)
Sakkari’s first two attempts to break into the WTA Tour were unsuccessful, with early qualifying losses at Rio and Bucharest in 2015. Her third attempt brought her directly to a Grand Slam, as she qualified for the US Open later that year and finished 2015 ranked No. 188. The 2016 season brought her first WTA Tour match win at the Australian Open and her first Grand Slam main-draw appearance without qualifying at the US Open.
By 2017, Sakkari had reached the third round of a Grand Slam for the first time at the Australian Open and matched that result at Wimbledon and the US Open. Her breakthrough came at the Wuhan Open, where she defeated Caroline Wozniacki for her first top-10 win and reached her first WTA Tour semifinal, propelling her into the top 50 at No. 50 on 2 October 2017.
WTA Breakthrough (2018–2020)
In 2018, Sakkari reached her first WTA Tour final at the San Jose Classic, defeating Venus Williams and Danielle Collins before falling to Mihaela Buzărnescu. She debuted in the top 30 during the US Open, where she was seeded at a major for the first time, and finished the year ranked No. 41. The following year, she captured her maiden WTA title at the Morocco Open, defeating Johanna Konta in the final and climbing from No. 51 to No. 39 in the rankings.
Sakkari’s 2019 season also featured a Premier 5 semifinal at the Italian Open and five top-10 wins across the year. The 2020 season brought further progress, as she reached the fourth round at both the Australian and US Opens, defeated Serena Williams at the Cincinnati Open, and broke into the top 20 of the WTA rankings for the first time.
Major Semifinals and Top 3 (2021–2022)
The 2021 season marked Sakkari’s arrival as an elite player. She reached her first Grand Slam semifinal at the French Open, ending defending champion Iga Świątek’s 11-match, 22-set Roland Garros winning streak, and followed it with another major semifinal at the US Open, becoming the first Greek woman to reach the last four at both events. She entered the top 10 for the first time on 27 September 2021 and qualified for the WTA Finals, where she reached the semifinals.
In 2022, Sakkari reached the final of the Indian Wells Open, her first WTA 1000 final, and rose to a career-high No. 3 in the world, becoming the first Greek female player to crack the top 5. She also returned to the WTA Finals and reached the semifinals for a second consecutive year, finishing the season as one of the most consistent performers on tour.
Guadalajara Title Era (2023–2024)
Sakkari opened 2023 by reaching the semifinals of the United Cup with Greece and the semifinals at Indian Wells. After early losses at the French Open and the US Open, she rediscovered her form at the Guadalajara Open, where she defeated Caroline Dolehide in the final to win her second career title and her first WTA 1000 trophy, a first for a Greek female player. She also qualified for the WTA Finals for a third time.
The 2024 season saw her reach her second Indian Wells final under new coach David Witt, advance to the quarterfinals in Miami, and represent Greece at the Paris Olympics, where she reached the round of 16. A shoulder injury forced her to retire from the US Open and end her season early, dropping her outside the top 30.
Comeback Phase (2025–2026)
Sakkari’s 2025 campaign was a gradual return to form. She reached the quarterfinals at the Linz Open, advanced to the fourth round at the Madrid Open with wins over Jasmine Paolini and Magda Linette, and made the quarterfinals at the Washington Open as a wildcard, defeating second seed Emma Navarro before losing to Emma Raducanu. She also reached the second round at the Italian Open after Belinda Bencic retired injured in their opening match.
In February 2026, Sakkari reached the semifinals of the Qatar Open, defeating top seed Iga Świątek in the quarterfinals before losing to 14th seed Karolína Muchová in three sets. As of mid-2026, she holds a current WTA singles ranking of No. 41.
Driving Style and Strengths
Sakkari is known for her aggressive, all-court style of play, anchored by a strong serve and powerful groundstrokes from both wings. She served 144 aces in 31 matches during 2020, the sixth-highest total on the WTA Tour that season, and her two-handed backhand allows her to redirect pace effectively. Her movement on hard courts and clay has supported deep runs at majors, while her willingness to attack has produced top-10 wins over players such as Serena Williams, Caroline Wozniacki, and Iga Świątek.
Notable Events and Milestones
Sakkari became the first Greek woman to reach a Grand Slam singles semifinal at the 2021 French Open and the first Greek woman to reach the US Open semifinals the same year. She also became the first Greek female player to win a WTA 1000 title at the 2023 Guadalajara Open and the first Greek woman to crack the WTA top 5 in 2022. Her 2021 season included a record-setting latest-finishing women’s match at the US Open, a three-set win over Bianca Andreescu, and a 4-0 record against top-five opponents.
Maria Sakkari Career Wins
Maria Sakkari has captured two singles titles on the WTA Tour during her professional career, both of which came more than four years apart. Her maiden title arrived at the 2019 Morocco Open, while her second and most significant trophy came at the 2023 Guadalajara Open, where she became the first Greek female player to win a WTA 1000 event.
WTA Tour Highlights
Sakkari’s first WTA title came at the 2019 Morocco Open, where she defeated Johanna Konta in the final to lift her maiden trophy. After reaching several finals without lifting another trophy, including San Jose in 2018, Ostrava in 2021, St. Petersburg in 2022, and Guadalajara in 2022, she finally broke through again at the 2023 Guadalajara Open. Her win over Caroline Dolehide ended a six-match losing streak in tour-level finals and made history for Greek tennis.
Other Wins and Performances
Beyond her two WTA Tour singles titles, Sakkari has reached four WTA finals, two WTA Finals semifinals in 2021 and 2022, and two Grand Slam semifinals at the 2021 French Open and 2021 US Open. She has also reached the third round at Wimbledon on four occasions, the fourth round of the Australian Open in 2020 and 2022, and the round of 16 at the Paris Olympics in 2024. On the ITF Circuit and in doubles, she has captured five ITF doubles titles and reached a career-high doubles ranking of No. 169.
Maria Sakkari Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Maria Sakkari comes from a family with deep roots in tennis. Her mother, Angelikí Kanellopoúlou, was a former top-50 WTA player, and her maternal grandfather, Dimitris Kanellopoulos, was also a professional tennis player. Her father, Konstantinos Sakkaris, introduced her to the sport at age six, and she grew up alongside her brother Yannis and her sister Amanda in a household that revolved around competition and training.
Personal Life
Sakkari is engaged to Konstantinos Mitsotakis, the son of Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis. The couple has been in a long-term relationship, and Sakkari has spoken publicly about the support she has received from her family throughout her career. She currently resides in Monte Carlo, Monaco, a base that allows her to train and travel efficiently across the European clay and hard-court seasons. Sakkari also appeared in the Netflix tennis docuseries Break Point, offering viewers an inside look at her life on tour.
2025 Season Performance
Sakkari’s 2025 season was a measured comeback year as she returned from a shoulder injury that had ended her 2024 campaign early. She opened with a quarterfinal showing at the Linz Open, where she lost to fifth seed Dayana Yastremska, and produced one of her best results on clay with a fourth-round appearance at the Madrid Open. There, she defeated sixth seed Jasmine Paolini before falling to 17th seed Elina Svitolina.
She also advanced to the second round of the Italian Open and produced a strong run at the Washington Open as a wildcard, reaching the quarterfinals with a win over second seed Emma Navarro before losing to Emma Raducanu. Heading into 2026, Sakkari’s form was trending upward, and she validated that progress by reaching the semifinals of the Qatar Open in February 2026, defeating top seed Iga Świątek along the way. With her current ranking at No. 41 and her powerful game intact, Sakkari remains a dangerous opponent capable of beating top players on both hard courts and clay.
