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A devastated Maria Sakkari couldn't hold back her tears after suffering a shock defeat in the opening round of the 2023 US Open, marking her third consecutive first-round exit from a Grand Slam tournament.
On Monday, August 28, Spain's Rebeka Masarova upset the No. 8 seed Sakkari 6-4, 6-4 in one hour and 27 minutes to advance to the second round in New York. This was Masarova's first-ever win against a top-10 player, after going 0-4 in her previous attempts.
Maria Sakkari's sadness was evident as she buried her head in her hands and broke down in tears while fielding questions from the media during her post-match press conference.
You can watch the video of her presser below:
The 2023 Slam season has been a forgettable one for Sakkari. Entering the Australian Open as the sixth seed, the Greek defeated Yue Yuan and Diana Schnaider before losing to Zhu Lin in the third round.
Seeded eighth at the French Open, the 28-year-old was upset by eventual runner-up Karolina Muchova in the opening round. Sakkari's woes continued at the Wimbledon Championships as she exited the grasscourt Major in the first round with a defeat to Marta Kostyuk.
"I cannot explain it, it's very unpleasant for me" - Maria Sakkari on shock defeat in US Open 1R
During the presser, Maria Sakkari talked about her nerves and anxiety during the match. The Greek struggled to put her emotions into words and described the experience as "unpleasant."
"I was nervous, but I started well. It's not that I was tight, I don't know what's wrong with me. I was up 4-1, I wasn't playing great, but I did what I had to do. I continued to have anxiety, but it's not like I lost my mind. I cannot explain it. It's very unpleasant for me," Sakkari told SDNA after the loss.
The 28-year-old also said her first-round exits from the French Open and Wimbledon Championships played a role in her defeat at Flushing Meadows. She added that she was contemplating taking a break from tennis due to her persistent on-court struggles.
"Definitely the two previous defeats played a role, I was very nervous, I don't know what I'm going to do, I really don't know. Maybe I should take a break, I'm suffering on the pitch. I can't make a decision now, it's hard. I don't have a clear mind," she said.
Following her win over Maria Sakkari, Rebeka Masarova will lock horns with Anna Karolina Schmiedlova in the second of the 2023 US Open.
