Maria Sakkari ‘hated myself on court’, but happy in Hong Kong and ignoring online abuse

One year after she “hated myself on the court”, a more content Maria Sakkari said it was “kind of irrelevant” whether she recaptured the form that propelled her to world No 3 and into two grand slam semi-finals. The Greek, who will face Maya Joint in round two of the Prudential Hong Kong Tennis Open on Wednesday, tumbled down the rankings after she sustained a serious shoulder injury during the 2024 US Open. On her return in early 2025, Sakkari’s form dipped to the point that she found herself...