Maria Sakkari couldn’t control her tears after losing in the 2023 Citi Open final at the WTA 500 competition in Washington. Sakkari is without a doubt one of the WTA Tour’s most skilled athletes, as seen by her continued presence in the Top 10 in the rankings. The Greek isn’t very reliable, though, in the championship games. Sakkari participated in eight WTA finals throughout the course of her career, but she only managed to triumph once. The Greek player had a chance to win the biggest prize of her career in Washington this year, just as she did in Rabat four years prior.
The Greek player had a fantastic opportunity to win the WTA 500 title, but it wasn’t to be as Coco Gauff, who had previously won just WTA 250 championships, won the competition. Maria Sakkari genuinely felt let down during the awarding of the prize and found it difficult to control her emotions. She in her after-game speech commented by saying “It’s pretty disappointing but at the same time, a month ago, we didn’t think we’d be here. So thank you. Thanks to Tom & my sister for being here. You’re the core of my team.” (H/T Twitter)
Despite her disappointment following the match, Maria Sakkari maintained her composure and demonstrated it in her news conference. The ninth-ranked player in the world is optimistic about winning in the future, and although she lost in the championship match, her Washington trip was unquestionably successful given her past performances this year.
Coco Gauff had struggled against Maria Sakkari in the past
World No. 9, Sakkari had prevailed against world No. 7 Gauff in four of their previous five encounters, including both this year. Gauff, though, finished off a strong week at home by rallying from a breakdown in the second set to win 6-2 6-3. After winning in Auckland to start the year, it is Gauff’s second championship of the year. It is also her first WTA 500 trophy after three prior victories at the WTA 250 level.
In her four matches in the competition, the 19-year-old lost just 19 games. She was coached by Pere Riba and Brad Gilbert, who has also worked with Andy Murray, Andy Roddick, and Andre Agassi. Gauff stated in her on-court interview, “It’s our first event as an entire squad. I’m happy with the outcome we were able to achieve. I am aware that it was really difficult a few weeks ago for people who attended Wimbledon with me (when Gauff lost in the first round). We could all sense it. I’m happy I was able to recover.”
She made some heartwarming comments to Coco Gauff, stating “You deserve everything you’ve achieved. You’re an amazing person. You have a great family & great team behind you. You’re a great role model for everyone. You’re super nice to everyone. So congrats to you. I wish you all the best”
Maria Sakkari further commented on her loss, saying “You know, it wasn’t meant to be this week, so it’s gonna be, you know, soon. I’m pretty positive about it. Yes, I was worried. I didn’t let myself play the tennis that I know I’m capable of, but as I indicated, she played quite well throughout the tournament. Yeah, she deserved to win.”
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