Maria Sakkari is currently over the moon in Rome! The Greek tennis star is all set to take on the two-time Grand Slam champion, Victoria Azarenka in the R16 of the 2024 Italian Open. But before stepping onto the court in this intriguing contest, she has given her fans a hint about the presence of one of her biggest supporters in the stands of Foro Italico on Monday.

Sneaking in a few strolls through the streets of Rome may well be difficult in the middle of a tightly scheduled tournament. But hosting her boyfriend in the same venue has now added an extra zeal in Sakkari to go out with him for dinner. And then, obviously, explore a little bit of this beautiful city! “I’ll go and have some lunch now. And then do some treatment and get out of here. Because, you know, my boyfriend’s here, haven’t seen him in six weeks,” Sakkari told the WTA Insider Podcast.

She has been dating Konstantinos Mitsotakis (son of Greece’s Prime Minister) since 2020. However, traveling around the world and taking part in different tournaments across different continents gives tennis players little time to spend with their families. “So it’s gonna be nice to spend some time with him go for a nice dinner. And then obviously, early night because I’m playing again tomorrow. But just do like once I’m done with you, newsfeed then I’ll go eat. And then it’s gonna be a chill afternoon for me.”

Now, as soon as she revealed that her boyfriend is with her in Rome, fans have already started to rub the glasses of their binoculars. They’re now hoping to see him in the stands in her next match since he’s anyway in the city. Konstantinos Mitsotakis has always been very supportive of Maria Sakkari and her career. In fact, he was seen multiple times playing tennis with his girlfriend. Sakkari once even highly praised his serving prowess and revealed his love for the sport.

When Maria Sakkari reached the SF of the French Open in 2021, it was reported that her boyfriend played a crucial role in giving her support and helping her calm her nerves during the tournament. Will it be the same in the Italian Open this year? Time will tell!

“It was a big part of why I did well at Roland Garros” – Maria Sakkari on the support she got from her boyfriend

During an interview with Alpha in 2021, Maria Sakkari said, “I think it was a big part of why I did well at Roland Garros. I spent my free time with him very differently from when I was alone. He calmed me down, he talked to me, he was very supportive.” She has time and again revealed how Mitsotakis has helped her over these years in her career. “Konstantinos is a very simple guy. I can talk to him for hours. We have a very easy relationship. He is a very easy person,” Sakkari said.

The Greek tennis star has met Victoria Azarenka twice in her career so far. But on both of those occasions, Sakkari ended up on the losing side. It will be interesting to see if Konstantinos Mitsotakis can really bring some fortune in her match against Azarenka. Can he give Sakkari the taste of her first triumph against a formidable opponent?