Maria Sakkari faced disappointment once again, suffering her third consecutive first-round exit at a Grand Slam tournament, losing to French wildcard Elsa Jacquemot with scores of 6-3, 7(7)-6(4).
Having previously held the ranking of World No.3, Sakkari has slipped to No.90, making her opening matchup against No.138 Jacquemot a seemingly favorable one. However, her ongoing struggles continued as she experienced back-to-back breaks early in the match. Although she managed to break Jacquemot once, she was unable to maintain any momentum, surrendering another break in the ninth game, which led to dropping the first set.
The second set started on a more positive note for the former top player. Sakkari took a commanding 5-2 lead but encountered further difficulties, twice failing to serve for the set and missing out on two set points in separate games. Her inability to close out the match has highlighted a concerning pattern over the past three years, where she has been unable to progress beyond the opening rounds of Grand Slam events.
Sakkari’s stint last year at Wimbledon represented her best performance in a Major since 2022, where she advanced to the third round after winning her first two matches. However, she has not experienced similar success since, with early exits at the US Open and the Australian Open earlier this year.
This situation raises questions about her current form and mental resilience on the Grand Slam stage. It is clear that Sakkari’s journey is a challenging one, but it also serves as a reminder of the relentlessness of competitive sports and the potential for recovery and improvement as she looks to bounce back in future tournaments.