Maria Sakkari hits out at scrutiny over her rapid ranking decline after Charleston heartbreak

WTA star Maria Sakkari gave a bold response to an insider’s comment following her setback defeat in Charleston. After losing to Zheng Qinwen at the ongoing WTA 250 event, the insider mentioned how reclaiming her spot in the top 10 seemed challenging. The Greek WTA star highlighted the dreadful toll of injuries on herself, making it hard for her to regain momentum.

Sakkari was forced to end her 2024 season early due to a shoulder injury sustained during the US Open. The 29-year-old retired in the first round against Wang Yafan. This injury led her to withdraw from crucial tournaments as she focused on recovery. She later made a comeback in 2025 but faced challenges, failing to move past the Round of 16 in any of the events. Ranked at No. 64, the WTA star experienced a drop from her career high (No. 3) in 2022.

Tennis Insider, going by the name of Cristian's Court, updated fans on Maria Sakkari's status on X to highlight how the Greek player's defeat against Zheng Qinwent makes it seem like it would be more than just challenging for her to regain a spot in the top 10.

"Maria Sakkari will fall outside the top 80 now with this loss to Qinwen in Charleston... hard to imagine her returning to the top 10 tbh," he wrote.

Finding it hard to hold her frustration, the WTA star mentioned how injuries took a toll on her. She highlighted how many players have gone through similar situations but presented her response with a bold inquiry.

"Am I the first or the last that’s coming back from an injury and is dropping points?" she wrote.

After her disappointing exit from Charleston, Maria Sakkari is expected to participate in the upcoming event in Stuttgart.

Maria Sakkari denies seeing herself as a coach, names Jessica Pegula as her desired mentor

Maria Sakkari at the Miami Open Presented by Itau 2025 - Day 5 - Source: Getty

WTA star Maria Sakkari responded with a straightforward denial when asked about her desire to be a coach. However, besides her negligence in switching tracks, she also expressed her preference to seek guidance from American WTA star Jessica Pegula.

In a recent live conversation conducted by the Tennis Insider Club, Sakkari was joined by peers Jasmine Paolini and Elena Rybakina for a series of conversations. On being asked if she would like to be a coach someday, she responded:

“No! I think I would be a very bad coach to be honest."

The Greek player was also asked if she had any other WTA star in mind from whom she would like to seek guidance. To this, she said:

“Active player I would go with Jess Pegula. I feel like she is very into tactics and stuff, that’s why. I think that’s the case."

Ranked at No. 64 in the world, Sakkari has a major challenge ahead of her. While injuries took a heavy toll on her, she now looks forward to regaining momentum.