Maria Sakkari confession on Netflix documentary leaves many in shock

• The 28-year-old tennis sensation lifted the lid on battling her darkest moments
• The Greek tennis star made the confession on Netflix documentary titled ‘Break Point’
• Sakkari is one of many tennis players who find themselves on the edge due to the highly competitive nature of tennis

Greek tennis star Maria Sakkari confession on Netflix documentary titled ‘Break Point’ has left many in shock.

The 28-year-old tennis sensation lifted the lid on battling her darkest moments for six months to a point she was afraid of being on the court playing.

Sakkari is one of many tennis players who find themselves on the edge due to the highly competitive nature of tennis on WTA.

Maria Sakkari confession on Netflix Documentary

She revealed in one of the episodes of the documentary that her fear and doubt led to panic attacks. No one knows how irritating and bothering breathing difficulties are than Sakkari.

‘Break Point’ Season 2 premiered on Netflix on January 10 and captures raw emotions and moments of the world No. 8 player.  The documentary’s first season briefly captured her.

Greek Tennis star Maria Sakkari has opened up on her bettle with panic attacks in the 2023 season in a continuing Netflix documentary, ‘Break Point’. Photo/TennisShop

Sakkari’s profile rose in 2022 following the retirement of Australian tennis star Ash Barty. Barty’s unexpected retirement cast a light on Sakkari who many said was up for the world No. 1 title that Iga Swiatek is proudly occupying.

Both players emerged as the top contenders at the Miami Open in 2022 but Sakkari fell out early.

What is Maria Sakkari Confession on Netflix Documentary Like?

In a conversation captured at the 2023 Wimbledon with Anett Kontaveit, Sakkari characterized tennis as a “brutal sport”.

She openly shared with the Estonian that she lost her mind a little bit when approaching the pinnacle of the rankings. Furthermore, Sakkari acknowledged that she was not prepared for the idea of being that close to No. 1.

At the time, she was the world No.3 and had everyone talking and the pressure to live up to this expectation pushed her into a different mental path.

Her performance slumped drastically and her panic attacks took over for half a year.

“I just started getting all of these panic attacks and there were just matches that I couldn’t breathe. I thought I was going to faint and it wasn’t a pleasant feeling. I was in a dark place for six months. I was just mentally and emotionally empty. I was scared stepping on the court,” she opened up.

The reality of losing a match aggravated her mental emptiness and things only got tough for her from this point.

“I have all these people saying that when I get to the later stages of a tournament, I’m guaranteed to lose. That gets in your head. Because of this, I’ve had many tough moments,” she adds.

Maria Sakkari. Photo/ Tennis Majors.

In her conversation with Kontaveit, Sakkari openly shared moments when thoughts of leaving professional tennis crossed her mind.

While confessing this, she revealed that she wasn’t prepared to end her career because she was yet to achieve her tennis aspirations. She is eyeing Grand Slam titles.

Following a challenging 2023, Sakkari experienced a resurgence by securing her inaugural WTA 1000 title in Guadalajara.

She made it to Tokyo Open semifinals, and earning a spot in the WTA Finals. She finished second in her group, winning against Elena Rybakina and Jessica Pegula but lost to Aryna Sabalenka.

She lost a close semifinal match to Caroline Garcia in three sets, falling short of reaching the final.

With two wins and one loss, Sakkari didn’t advance to the final but still had a solid performance, showcasing her fighting spirit and ability to compete against top players.

She won the 2021 WTA Finals in Guadalajara, Mexico defeating Paula Badosa in the finals.

In a subsequent documentary, Sakkari attributed her turnaround to collaboration with a sports psychologist, highlighting her shift towards a more positive mindset both on the court and in life.