Social

Maria Sakkari has seen your memes about her semifinal record

By David Kane Aug 05, 2023
Social

Carlos Alcaraz offers support to Sara Sorribes Tormo after she announces break from tennis

By Baseline Staff Apr 18, 2025
Social

Lois Boisson had the perfect response to Harriet Dart deodorant controversy

By Baseline Staff Apr 16, 2025
Social

Dominic Thiem ‘loves’ watching Jakub Mensik and Joao Fonseca

By Baseline Staff Apr 16, 2025
Social

How a Russian champ helped Diana Shnaider land Dinara Safina coaching partnership

By Stephanie Livaudais Apr 13, 2025
Social

Kwon Soonwoo to play Busan Challenger during South Korea military service

By Baseline Staff Apr 13, 2025
Social

Roger Federer and Caroline Wozniacki step out at the Masters: “So much tradition”

By Baseline Staff Apr 13, 2025
Social

Stefanos Tsitsipas declines to comment on Goran Ivanisevic coaching rumors

By Stephanie Livaudais Apr 11, 2025
Social

Andrea Vavassori cites rib injury for Barcelona withdrawal after Monte Carlo scuffle with Ben Shelton

By Baseline Staff Apr 11, 2025
Social

Watch Ben Shelton recreate viral '4 a.m. morning routine' in hilarious fashion

By Baseline Staff Apr 09, 2025
Social

Maria Sakkari has seen your memes about her semifinal record

While the Greek star has maintained a sense of humor about her habit of losing in penultimate rounds, Sakkari looks to have the last laugh at the Mubadala Citi DC Open, where she reached the final on Saturday.

ByDavid Kane

Published Aug 05, 2023

MATCH POINT: M. Sakkari def. J. Pegula; Washington SF
WATCH: Sakkari snapped a seven-semifinal losing streak on Saturday against Jessica Pegula.

Advertising

Maria Sakkari had lost her last seven semifinals coming into the Mubadala Citi DC Open, a record she is as aware of as you are.

"I really tried to block that semifinal thing that has been going on and on for so long and in every different platform,” she admitted on Saturday after snapping the streak with a 25th career Top 10 win over Jesscia Pegula. “I just don't really care anymore. They have made YouTube videos of my losing semifinals. I'm, like, Whatever. People are just so dumb.”

Sakkari has tried to take what has gone from confusion to concern to derision in stride, jokingly calling out a fan who mocked her record on Twitter earlier this year:

Still, her frequent and high-profile defeats have clearly gotten to the Greek if her words in press are any indication: in addition to her seven straight semifinal defeats, she lost two Grand Slam semifinals in 2021. Though both times were to eventual champions Barbora Krejcikova and Emma Raducanu, Sakkari was the higher-ranked player in both occasions.

“I think if you were to ask a lot of players on the tour if they would take my semifinal record, they would say yes, because I'm not losing first round. I'm losing in semifinal. So, at the same time, it's nothing bad about it. But obviously I had it in my mind that I want to overcome that for this year.”

Advertising

Sakkari ultimately snapped the streak in some style, navigating a second-set hiccup to defeat the top-seeded Pegula in front of an American crowd. But while her semifinal record could use cleaning up, her final record is in similar shape with just one win against six runner-up finishes.

“It's something that I'm happy about that it happened this week,” she said of her victory, “But I'm not done yet. That's how I feel."

Sakkari will aim to win her first title since the 2019 Grand Prix de SAR La Princesse Lalla Meryem on Sunday against Pegula’s doubles partner Coco Gauff, who dethroned defending champ Liudmila Samsonova in straight sets in the second semifinal.