Maria Sakkari has claimed that she couldn’t even “hit a ball over the net” a month before finding herself back in the final of Indian Wells. The world No. 9 failed to get beyond the second round at her last four tournaments and ended her partnership with her coach of six years. But she seems to be a new player in California, where she has a shot at redemption against Iga Swiatek in the championships match.
After a tough start to the season, Sakkari has found her groove in Indian Wells. The Greek star reached her first WTA 1000 final in the desert two years ago, losing to Swiatek, and they will face off at the same stage again on Sunday.
Despite being a top-10 player with a 1000 title in Guadalajara to her name, Sakkari’s run has come as something of a surprise. The 28-year-old has struggled to win matches over the last few weeks and had a tough time during the Middle East swing. She lost her opening matches in Abu Dhabi and Doha, and won just one in Dubai.
Even Sakkari herself has admitted that the turnaround was unexpected, despite taking drastic measures by axing long-time coach Tom Hill and hiring David Witt, the man who mentored Jessica Pegula for almost five years. “Well, we always say in tennis one day can change everything,” the world No. 9 said after reaching the final.
“But a month ago I was in Abu Dhabi, I couldn’t hit a ball over the net, and now I’m just here in one of the biggest tournaments playing another final. It’s just that, you know, those are lessons and those are things that you have to just accept the more you’re on the tour that you’re going to have some bad times, and then things can really change in a week.”
Sakkari’s unexpected run to the final has been made even sweeter by the fact that it has come in Indian Wells, a tournament loved by players and dubbed ‘tennis paradise’. The two-time title winner added: “I’m just very happy that this has been the week that things have started changing, because you know how much I love this place, and I told myself that I want to stay here as long as I can, and here we are, staying until Sunday, Monday.”
Indian Wells is also Sakkari’s first tournament with her new coach Witt. The American split with Pegula shortly after the Australian Open, having joined her team in 2019. The Greek star quickly snapped him up and they’re already seeing the results.
“It’s always challenging to change coach. It’s not the middle of the season, but we’re three months in,” Sakkari explained. “And of course, that is our first tournament. I think we are doing pretty well. Just as I said in my previous press conferences, that he was never going to come in and change things.
“I knew that he was going to come in, just we were going to work on things like we did those days, and it’s just going to get better. I’m just going to, you know, keep being very honest with him with what I need to work and he’s going to be honest with me. I think together we can build something very good.”
