Maria Sakkari’s return to the Dongfeng Motor Wuhan Open is proving significant for the Greek tennis star.
After dropping the first set, Sakkari rallied to secure her spot in the third round, defeating eighth seed Marta Kostyuk 4-6, 6-2, 6-2 on Tuesday.
This victory rekindles memories of her 2017 triumph at the same tournament, which marked her entry into the top 50 players in the world. For Sakkari, Wuhan holds more than just on-court victories. Nine years ago, as a qualifier ranked 80th in the world, she achieved notable wins against players like Caroline Wozniacki, Elena Vesnina, and Alizé Cornet, which were pivotal moments in her WTA Tour journey.
Reflecting on her early success, the 30-year-old acknowledged how much her perspective has shifted since then. “I reached the top 50 for the first time. This place is very close to my heart because it was where I achieved my first major wins against Wozniacki, Vesnina, and Cornet,” she said.
“It feels like it was a century ago. Sometimes I look at photos and feel so young; I was even younger back then. Now I obviously have more experience and maturity. At that time, I was a bit fearless and didn’t think too much. As you grow older, you start to think about different things,” she added.
According to the WTA, Sakkari reflected on how nearly a decade has passed since those early wins, yet she continues to play high-level tennis. Her recent campaign offers another opportunity to leave her mark in a tournament where she hasn’t played a singles match since 2018. Although she returned for doubles last year, her win over Kostyuk marked her first singles match in eight years at Wuhan.
Sakkari began her campaign with a straight-set victory over Donna Vekic, then made a remarkable comeback against Kostyuk. After losing the first set 4-6, she gained control and won the next two sets 6-2, 6-2, becoming the first player to reach the third round.
After a disappointing performance in Beijing last week, where she felt she missed crucial opportunities against Elina Svitolina, Sakkari learned from her mistakes against Kostyuk. She adopted a more aggressive approach during critical moments and maintained her confidence under pressure.
“Martina is playing fantastic tennis this year, so I knew I needed to bring my best game,” Sakkari said. “Last week, I felt I played well against Elina, but I didn’t muster the courage to capitalize on those break points. I’m just thinking about trying something different this week. My game is solid; I just need to show a bit more courage in big moments.”
With this win, Sakkari is just one victory away from the quarter-finals. A win would mark her first appearance in the final eight of a WTA 1,000 tournament since Doha in February. Her next challenge comes against wildcard player Mia Pohankova, as she aims for a spot in the quarter-finals on Thursday.
As the season nears its end, advancing further in Wuhan would provide a much-needed boost for Sakkari.