Maria Sakkari

“If your career is too stable, and you don't have anything suspenseful happening in your life, it's boring.”

“I came in late to the tour. I was not a good junior.”

“I'm trying to stay aggressive on the clay because every player has a tendency to play a more defensive game when they step on clay, and so I feel like, whoever is more aggressive has better chances.”

“I was lucky to have parents like my parents because they invested a lot and I had zero support from federations or sponsors.”

“I'm a person that I need my time. I always need to go step by step.”

“I'm a Spartan, so we don't forget that.”

“We all learn how to lose. Unless you are Roger, Rafa, or Novak - that's a different story. The rest of us, we are going to lose more than we win.”

“A bit of luck always helps. But of course my fighting spirit and playing with my heart is always something that makes my life a lot easier on the court.”

“Growing, and also getting older and more mature, you see certain things different.”

“It's hard for me to even put into words how it feels when you hear that 'game, set, match.'”

“They have made YouTube videos of my losing semifinals. I'm, like, Whatever. People are just so dumb.”

“I think I am good at trying to find solutions.”

“I spoke to Wilson, and I think we came up with a great plan and great racquet for myself and for my game. It's been the perfect racquet for my game.”

“My mother didn't really want me to go into professional tennis. She thought it was too hard a life.”

“Everyone has different times to break through. For me it was two or three years until I got used to the Tour - it always takes time.”

“It's going to sound a bit cocky, but a lot of players don't want to play me in the first round.”

“It's nice to have someone your age who really understands you and really supports your decisions.”

“I told my mom when I was 18, I'm just going to try going to Spain and just train there. And see when I'm 22 have I made it, or feeling that I can make it.”

“During a match, you can be very pumped. But the way that some players celebrate their points, it's not appropriate.”

“I think Greek is a really tough language to learn.”