Sakkari: "Now I see how difficult it is to return to the top 10"

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Nine tournaments played this season and, so far, Maria Sakkari still doesn't know what it's like to win two consecutive matches. Surely, this is not the dream comeback for the Greek player, but it's the price to pay after being out of competition for many months due to her first career injury. Approaching 30 years old, the former World No. 3 knows she has a long road ahead, but this only motivates her more. In an interview with The Second Serve, the Greek tennis player analyzes her situation and predicts a great battle to regain all that lost ground.

New Status on the Circuit

"I know I had been in a better position, but I am happy to be healthy, that is the most important thing. It took me a few years to get injured, I didn't have my first injury until I was 29, so in a way it's a good thing, but on the other hand, it was hard to accept things after returning. My ranking has dropped, so I need to get back to where I was. I want to return to the top 10, especially because now the draws are much tougher not being a seed, facing players I now want to avoid. In any case, if you want to go deep in a tournament, you'll have to meet them at some point."

Five Months Away from the Tour

"It has been a tough time but, at the same time, it was also very nice to have some time off. This kind of life is very hectic, so it was nice to have a normal life, not traveling every week, which was incredible. Obviously, my tennis since the return hasn't been great, I had high hopes, but soon realized this would take time. In these last few weeks, I am feeling better, truly feel that something good is coming, but it will take me some time. I am sure, I am healthy, I am happy, that's what matters most."

The Day She Fought to Be No. 1

"Being in that position made me realize how well I had done in my career, the consistency I had shown. Of course, despite some ups and downs in my last three seasons, just finishing there was huge. Now is when you really see how tough current tennis is, how truly challenging those early rounds always are. Now I see how hard it is to return to the top 10, I realize how well I had been playing all these years to stay up there."

Rise of Tennis in Greece

"That memory was huge, entering the United Cup 2023 as the highest seeds, since both of us were the World No. 3 at that time. I hope the people of Greece realize the importance we had at that moment, it was amazing. When you compete against countries like the United States, France, or Germany, which are so big and have that great history with tennis, all you can feel is pride. Now tennis is the third most popular sport in Greece, behind basketball and football. Today I see everyone playing tennis, everyone watches tennis, I am proud of the work we have done."

Media Demands

"People will always talk and say things, even if I return to the top 5 they will say, 'Okay, but she hasn't won a Grand Slam' or 'She has never gone past the semifinals of a Grand Slam'. Moreover, even winning a Grand Slam, they would surely say, 'Yes, but she hasn't won a Grand Slam on grass', or something like that. I know this because I follow the media all the time, if someone wants to talk they will always find a way to do it. Imagine that there are even negative comments about Novak Djokovic, but what more does this guy have to prove? It's simply the world we live in right now, we can only accept it and move forward."

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Sakkari: “Ahora veo lo difícil que es volver al top10”