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By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Monday September 27, 2020

 
Maria Sakkari

Maria Sakkari has been ticking off milestones for herself and Greece one by one in 2021.

Photo Source: AP

A breakout season at the Grand Slams, and in general, has taken Greece’s Maria Sakkari to a significant rankings milestone. The 26-year-old cracks the WTA’s Top-10 in Monday’s rankings to become the first Greek woman to ever achieve the feat.

Tennis Express

Sakkari, who has reached a pair of Grand Slam semifinals and earned 34 wins on tour this season, is thrilled to have numerical proof of her steady and consistent rise.

After falling in the Ostrava final on Sunday she talked about the importance of her achievement.

"Of course I'm disappointed with today's result, but it's a very positive result because I came here, I didn't have many days off, I did not have many days of practice, but I played some great tennis and mentally I was 10 out of 10, which is the thing that matters the most and the thing that I really care about - it's a great opportunity for me to end the season really well and strong,” Sakkari said.

Sakkari started the year at 22 in the rankings and has slowly inched higher thanks to reaching her maiden Grand Slam semifinal at Roland Garros. She repeated the feat in New York, where she played the semifinal at the US Open. She is also the first Greek woman to reach the last four at either event.


"It's a big accomplishment for myself, people don't realize how big it is for someone at the age of 26, not the age of 20, when no one believed that I could do it, myself and people around me really believed me,” Sakkari told WTA Insider during her post-match press conference on Sunday. “Of course I don't want to stop here I don't want to sound like I've achieved my goal, but it's a very big step for my career and every tennis player. I truly believe it and it's a big thing for every single player.

"Of course I see myself much higher, but we'll take it step by step."

Sakkari says that she reminds herself of her accomplishments every so often, when she needs a boost of self-confidence.

"Let's be honest, not many players played two semifinals in Slams this year and have the results that I'm having,” she said. “I don't want to sound cocky but that's the reality. That's something that I say, so I can also hear it at the same time, to give myself the power to continue."


Sights Set on Guadalajara

Now at fifth in the WTA’s Race to Guadalajara, Sakkari is setting her sights on taking part in the WTA Finals for the first time. Judging from her performance at Ostrava, she’s got plenty left in the tank to ensure her qualification.

"Guadalajara is a goal for us and I'm not going to lie,” she said. “It's a goal that I think I can achieve if I keep playing the way I'm playing now. Indian Wells is one of the best tournaments in the world, I don't see why I cannot do well there, but if I don't I have other chances, Moscow and some of the 250s in Europe."

 

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