Google News
Maria Sakkari revealed she retired after the 2021 French Open but just didn't announce her decision. In the 2021 French Open semifinal, Sakkari lost to Barbora Krejcikova after failing to convert a match point. For Sakkari, it was her fifth semifinal defeat of 2021.
After losing to Krejcikova and for the fifth time that year failing to reach the final, Sakkari was devastated. “I was struggling because I could see the finish line, but then I couldn’t win the match. My mind would go so far that I couldn’t close it out.
I was too excited. I was nearly there, but not there at the same time," Sakkari said in Break Point, per tennis.com.
Sakkari: I retired for four days
The loss to Krejcikova left Sakkari in a bad place mentally and she even told her coaches that she was done with pro tennis.
But after four days, Sakkari changed her mind and asked her coaches when they would hit the practice court. “I just didn’t know how to handle that situation. I couldn’t sleep for three days. I was just lying in bed and trying to sleep, but I was so nervous and so sad.
It was tough for me to handle, and I told my coaches that I want to retire from tennis. I retired for four days. I was on a Greek island, and I said, ‘Okay, when can we start practicing again? I’m coming back from retirement.’ That’s what we’ve been calling it," Sakkari revealed.
Meanwhile, Sakkari is now aiming to become a Grand Slam champion at the Australian Open. “I want to win the Australian Open. I believe that I’m in good form, but you never know in tennis how things go. I’m going to try my best and try to stay as long as I can.
I love Australia, I think you guys know that by now. I just want to spend the maximum amount of time here that I can," Sakkari told the Australian Open website. In the Australian Open first round, Sakkari plays Yue Yuan.