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Maria Sakkari Fires Back at Reporter After Loss to Qinwen Zheng

Maria Sakkari replied to a tennis reporter on social media after loss at the Charleston Open.
Pat Benson|
MARIA SAKKARI (GRE) returns a volley against Qinwen Zheng (3) (CHN) during the Credit One Charleston Open.
MARIA SAKKARI (GRE) returns a volley against Qinwen Zheng (3) (CHN) during the Credit One Charleston Open. | IMAGO / ZUMA Press Wire

Facing Qinwen Zheng in the Charleston Open would be tough for any player. Zheng won a gold medal on the clay courts in Paris last year and has returned to form after a rocky start to the 2025 WTA season.

Meanwhile, Maria Sakkari is battling back from a shoulder injury and is no match for Zheng. Last night, Zheng defeated Sakkari in straight sets: 6-4, 6-1. Zheng is on to the Round of 16, while Sakkari goes back to the drawing board.

In March 2022, Sakkari hit a career-high as the WTA World No. 3 and was part of the top ten until last September. Following her loss to Zheng, Sakkari will drop outside of the top 80 for the first time since 2017.

Sakkari let her frustrations with the situation slip on social media last night.

The reporter and content creator, Christian's Court, posted on X, "Maria Sakkari will fall outside the top 80 now with this loss to Qinwen in Charleston... hard to imagine her returning to the top 10 tbh."

Less than four hours later, Sakkari replied, "Am I the first or the last that's coming back from an injury and is dropping points?"

Naturally, fans delved into the debate on social media and appeared to be divided.

According to Matthew Johns of The Tennis Gazette, the clay court season is where Sakkari has most of her points to defend this year, with 250 coming off her ranking in the coming weeks.

Stay locked into Sports Illustrated's Serve On SI for all of your tennis news from the court and beyond.

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Published | Modified
Pat Benson
PAT BENSON

Pat Benson covers professional tennis for Serve on Sports Illustrated, reporting on ATP and WTA events worldwide. From Challenger tournaments to Grand Slams, he brings readers in-depth coverage, daily recaps, and exclusive interviews with some of the biggest names in the sport. With a decade of experience in sports journalism, Pat is recognized as a trusted voice in tennis media. You can contact him at 1989patbenson@gmail.com.

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