Maria Sakkari facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Maria Sakkari

Sakkari at the 2023 Washington Open
Native name	Μαρία Σάκκαρη
Country (sports)	Greece
Born	(1995-07-25) 25 July 1995 (age 29) Athens, Greece
Height	1.72 m (5 ft 8 in)
Turned pro	2015
Plays	Right-handed (two-handed backhand)
Coach	Thomas Johansson (2017–2018), Tom Hill (2018–2024), Mark Philippoussis (2023) David Witt (2024)
Prize money	US$ 12,243,908
Singles
Career record	462–300 (60.63%)
Career titles	2 WTA
Highest ranking	No. 3 (21 March 2022)
Current ranking	No. 31 (28 October 2024)
Grand Slam singles results
Australian Open	4R (2020, 2022)
French Open	SF (2021)
Wimbledon	3R (2017, 2019, 2022, 2024)
US Open	SF (2021)
Other tournaments
Tour Finals	SF (2021, 2022)
Olympic Games	3R (2021, 2024)
Doubles
Career record	52–48 (52%)
Career titles	0 WTA, 5 ITF
Highest ranking	No. 169 (9 September 2019)
Grand Slam doubles results
Australian Open	1R (2019, 2020)
French Open	1R (2019)
Wimbledon	2R (2019)
US Open	2R (2019)
Other doubles tournaments
Olympic Games	1R (2024)
Other mixed doubles tournaments
Olympic Games	QF (2021)
Team competitions
Fed Cup	12–18 (40%)
Hopman Cup	RR (2019)

Maria Sakkari (Greek: Μαρία Σάκκαρη; born on July 25, 1995) is a professional tennis player from Greece. She has reached a high ranking of world No. 3 by the WTA. She achieved this on March 21, 2022. This makes her the highest-ranked Greek tennis player, tied with Stefanos Tsitsipas.

Maria has won two singles titles on the WTA Tour. One of these was a big WTA 1000 title at the 2023 Guadalajara Open. She is known for her powerful and aggressive playing style. Her strong serve and groundstrokes are key parts of her game. In 2020, she hit the sixth most aces among all WTA players.

Sakkari has made it to the semifinals at major tournaments. She reached the semifinals at the French Open and US Open in 2021. This made her the first Greek woman to reach a major semifinal. She was also named the Greek Female Athlete of the Year in both 2020 and 2021.

Early Life and Tennis Journey

Maria Sakkari was born in Athens, Greece, on July 25, 1995. Her mother, Angelikí Kanellopoúlou, was also a top-50 tennis player. Her father is Konstantinos Sakkaris. Maria has two siblings, a brother named Yannis and a sister named Amanda. Her grandfather, Dimitris Kanellopoulos, was also a professional tennis player.

Maria started playing tennis at age six. Her parents introduced her to the sport. When she was 18, she moved to Barcelona to train. She loves playing on hard and clay courts. Her favorite shot is her serve. Growing up, her favorite players were Serena Williams, Roger Federer, and Rafael Nadal. Today, Sakkari lives in Monte Carlo. She is dating Konstantinos Mitsotakis, whose father is the prime minister of Greece.

Maria Sakkari also appears in the tennis TV show Break Point. It started on Netflix on January 13, 2023.

Maria's Professional Tennis Career

Starting Out: 2015–2016

Sakkari in 2015

Maria Sakkari became a professional tennis player in 2015. She made her first appearance on the WTA Tour at the US Open. She won three qualifying matches to get into the main tournament. After the US Open, she entered the top 200 rankings for the first time.

In 2016, Maria got her first win at a Grand Slam tournament. This happened at the Australian Open. She also reached her first WTA Tour quarterfinal at the Istanbul Cup. Later that year, she played at Wimbledon. She won her first match there before losing to the famous Venus Williams. After Wimbledon, she reached a ranking of No. 97. This was her first time in the top 100.

Sakkari at the 2016 Wimbledon Championships

Climbing the Ranks: 2017–2018

In 2017, Maria reached the third round of a Grand Slam for the first time. This was at the Australian Open. She also made it to her first WTA Tour semifinal at the Wuhan Open. During this tournament, she beat Caroline Wozniacki. This was her first win against a top-10 player. This success helped her enter the top 50 rankings.

Maria continued to improve in 2018. She reached her first WTA Tour final at the San Jose Classic. She beat Venus Williams on her way to the final. After this tournament, she reached a new career-high ranking of No. 31. She also made it to the third round at the French Open. This meant she had reached the third round at all four Grand Slam tournaments.

First Title and More Success: 2019–2020

Sakkari at the 2019 French Open

The year 2019 was special for Maria. She won her first career WTA title at the Morocco Open. She defeated Johanna Konta in the final. This win helped her climb into the top 40 rankings. She also reached another big semifinal at the Italian Open.

In 2020, Maria had strong results at the Grand Slams. She reached the fourth round at the Australian Open. She also made it to the fourth round at the US Open. At the Cincinnati Open, she had a big win against the legendary Serena Williams. This was one of her biggest career victories.

Major Semifinals and Top 10 Debut: 2021

Sakkari at the 2021 French Open

The year 2021 was a breakthrough for Maria. She reached her first Grand Slam semifinal at the French Open. She beat the defending champion, Iga Świątek, along the way. This made her the first Greek woman to reach a Grand Slam singles semifinal. She then reached another major semifinal at the US Open. She became the first Greek woman to reach the US Open semifinals.

In September 2021, Maria reached the final of the Ostrava Open. As a result, she entered the top 10 in the WTA rankings for the first time. She also qualified for the 2021 WTA Finals, a tournament for the best players of the year. She became the first Greek woman to play in this event and reached the semifinals.

Continuing Success: 2022–2023

In 2022, Maria continued her strong performance. She reached her first WTA 1000 final at the Indian Wells Open. With this great result, she reached her career-high ranking of world No. 3. She became the first Greek female player to reach the top 5. She also made it to the final of the Guadalajara Open. Maria qualified for the WTA Finals for the second year in a row and reached the semifinals again.

In 2023, Maria started the year by helping Team Greece reach the semifinals of the 2023 United Cup. She reached the semifinals at Indian Wells again. In August, she reached the final at the Washington tournament.

A big moment in 2023 was at the Guadalajara Open. Maria reached the final for the second year in a row. She defeated Caroline Dolehide in the final to win her second career title. This was her first ever WTA 1000 title, a huge achievement for a Greek female tennis player.

Recent Years: 2024

At the start of 2024, Maria played for Team Greece in the United Cup. She won all her singles matches there. She reached her second final at the WTA 1000 Indian Wells Open. This was her fourth final at this level overall.

Maria also played at the Paris Olympics. She was eliminated in the round of 16. Unfortunately, she had to stop her season early due to a shoulder injury. This caused her ranking to drop to world No. 31.

Representing Greece

Maria Sakkari has proudly represented her country. She first played for the Greece Fed Cup team in 2012. The Fed Cup is a major international team competition in women's tennis.

Giving Back: Charity Work

Maria Sakkari is the first ambassador for the charity organization DESMOS. She has been involved with DESMOS since 2019. This group helps vulnerable people through many programs. Maria believes in the importance of giving back. She says that helping others can create positive change for everyone.

In 2022, Maria was part of the "Tennis Plays for Peace" event. This event raised money for GlobalGiving, a non-profit organization. Many other famous tennis stars also took part.

Career Statistics

Grand Slam Performance

Singles

Doubles

Images for kids

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  Sakkari at the 2023 Washington Open

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  Sakkari in 2015

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  Sakkari at the 2016 Wimbledon Championships

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  Sakkari at the 2019 French Open

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  Sakkari at the 2021 French Open

See also

In Spanish: María Sákkari para niños