No one was expecting this at the US Open. Not even Maria Sakkari. After weeks of grueling training, she was ready to make her mark in New York. But sometimes, no matter how well-prepared the players are, fate has a different script, and that’s what happened with Sakkari when she got injured!

The Greek star, in the first match of her campaign at the Flushing Meadows against Wang Yafan, experienced something unexpected. She seemed to struggle in the first set of the match and trailed 6-2. Yafan seized control early, breaking Sakkari’s serve in the opening game and advancing to a 5-1 lead, when Sakkari took a lengthy medical timeout owing to shoulder and neck issues.

But while she returned to play, she struggled to get her claws back on the match. Before entering the second set, the star player decided to retire as her Cincinnati troubles emerged back. She was later spotted in tears after the upsetting exit from the US Open, as another dream of winning a title was met with agony and pain. Remember, this was Sakkari’s first match on the American hard courts.

After her third-round defeat to Marta Kostyuk at the Paris Olympics, Sakkari couldn’t make a return to the tennis courts before the US Open. She decided to withdraw from the Canadian Open as well as the Cincinnati Masters due to a shoulder injury. While she opted to play at the US Open, unfortunate scenes caused immense frustration for the World No. 9.

Sakkari has had a series of early exits at the Grand Slams for quite some time. The Greek star player has not reached the second week of a major since the 2022 Australian Open. This year, she faced a defeat in the third round to Emma Raducanu at Wimbledon and in the first round to Varvara Gracheva at the French Open. Besides, she witnessed multiple coaching changes this year.

The Greek star ended her partnership with longtime coach Tom Hill after six years. This was one of the longest-running high-profile partnerships in women’s tennis. While she partnered with David Witt afterward, the journey met with roadblocks again as the two split up in June. Amid the testing times, there is a lot at stake for Sakkari, as far as the rankings are concerned.

Can Maria Sakkari maintain her ranking amid health woes?

Maria Sakkari witnessed a rough beginning at the US Open. This not only ended her run at the tournament but also marred her dream of a major title. Amid her health woes, the star player has a lot to defend this year, especially in terms of her ranking.

Sakkari is soon scheduled to participate in the WTA 1000 event at Guadalajara. The tournament, which is scheduled to begin in the early weeks of September, witnessed the Greek player clinching the title in its previous edition. But if the shoulder issue continues to persist, Sakkari might not just fail to participate in the event but also lose a whopping 1000 points. This might lead to her decline in the ranking table. But there’s something more.

Earlier this year, we also got to know how the tennis player had been struggling mentally. She appeared in Netflix’s second season of ‘Break Point’, which was released in January. She was heard saying, “Last year (2022), everything was going great. Getting to No 3 (in the rankings), but then there was a decline. I lost my mind a little bit. It came so fast. Just the idea of being that close to being world No 1. I was not ready for it.”

All of this led her to almost quit the sport. But she prevailed. She started working with a psychologist who helped her focus on what was important. And with that, she understood that she shouldn’t be afraid of failure. Now, while she wasn’t able to give her best against Wang Yafan, it seems she will use the same strength to get back on track.

As the season evolves, it would be interesting to see how long it takes for Sakkari to emerge out of her challenges and return to form. For now, all she can desire is a speedy recovery and a healthy comeback on the courts.