Sakkari brands Greek heritage, aims to inspire ahead of Aussie Open

Maria Sakkari rang in the New Year with a salute to Greece, her home country and that which is most central to her athletic identity.

“I draw a lot of my motivation and inner strength from this beautiful land and its rich heritage,” she narrates over a sweeping shot of Athenian iconography.

Though she was born in the Greek capital, Sakkari has channeled the Spartan mindset inherited from her father into a successful tennis career and now a fitness brand. Sparring with a Spartan debuted on her Instagram page earlier this month, and is the first property to carry the 25-year-old’s iconic (or is it ionic?) logo.

“We discussed the logo with my team for a long time,” Sakkari explains over a Zoom interview conducted last Sunday. “They know how much I love Greece, and I would say that I’m in love with my country. After my family and friends, it’s the second most important thing in my life.

“I wanted to show everyone how important it is to me, so coming up with a logo inspired by Greek history and mythology was important to me, too. We really liked the concept so we sat down, brainstormed a few different ideas, and settled on the best one."

Sparring with a Spartan, too, was months in the making. Amid all of at-home workouts that flooded the zone last spring, Sakkari, whose fitness coach is countryman and former track and field athlete George Panagiotopoulos, hesitated to rush hers to market. Her 14-day stint in a Melbourne hotel ironically allowed a metaphorical window to open.

“At the height of the pandemic, people were losing their jobs and dying. It didn’t feel right to launch a new venture then, but coming to Australia and reuniting with my Greek fans in an Olympic year, now made perfect sense.”

That reunion would always be virtual to start, as the world No. 22 was one of the 72 athletes relegated to strict quarantine ahead of the Australian Open. Arriving on a high from her semifinal finish to start the season in Abu Dhabi, she hoped “…Spartan” might spread some of those endorphins to fans similarly stuck at home.

“What I expect from myself is a good feeling after a workout. I don’t want to feel like I’m dying, especially at home or in a hotel room where it can be tough to breathe. For another person working out in their home or apartment, they should try to work out so they feel good when they finish, and that they’re not overdoing anything so they can last 45 minutes to an hour. If they’re going full out from the very beginning, it will be harder to last until the end.”

Stamina has been essential to Sakkari’s rise up the rankings. Standing no taller than 5’8”, the Adidas-clad Sakkari nonetheless personifies Nike, the Greek goddess of victory, as she scrambles behind the baseline and makes use of her heavy topspin to knock out proverbial titans across the net.

Sakkari upset Serena Williams at the Western & Southern Open and pushed her to three sets at the US Open (Getty Images)

“It’s probably one of the most important parts of my game, that I maintain the shape I’m in. I have to make use of my fitness abilities in my matches. I know I can last long, and if I didn’t have that, it’s not like I’m an especially tall girl who can get away with big serves. My serve has definitely improved, but I’m not the biggest hitter that I can get away without moving.

"If I don’t have my movement, I don’t feel good inside the court. For me, it’s combination of everything: being fit, fast, and able to last long in matches.”

Through a turbulent 2020, she managed a trio of Top 10 victories—including a dramatic tussle with Serena Williams at the re-located Western & Southern Open—last season, and also broke new ground at the major tournaments, debuting in the fourth rounds at both the Australian and US Open.

Her reputation as one of the tour’s fittest long preceded those results, and colleagues have already chimed in to give her workouts rave reviews.

“I’m getting a lot of funny comments. Some players are messaging me like, ‘I thought I was going to die doing your leg workout!’”

Brand savvy and motivated by her side hustle, the Greek superstar still measures her progress along the service line and is eager to test her gains on bigger stages in 2021—perhaps in pursuit of her own Odyssey.

“I’m ready to take those next steps, go deeper at a Grand Slam, which I imagine has to be pretty stressful on your mind and body. I want to see how I’ll feel in those moments.”