Maria Sakkari stuns Swiatek to reach Doha Semifinal
Maria Sakkari delivered one of the biggest wins of her career by defeating world No. 2 Iga Swiatek 2–6, 6–4, 7–5 to reach the semifinals of the Qatar Open.
The victory ended a difficult run for Sakkari, who had lost four straight matches and nine consecutive sets to Swiatek.
It was her first win over Swiatek since 2021, her first win over a world No. 2 since 2022, and her first WTA 1000 semifinal since Indian Wells 2024. She also became the first player ever to beat Swiatek at a WTA 1000 event after losing the opening set.
After dropping the first set, Sakkari found her rhythm in the second, closing it out 6–4 before holding her nerve in a tight deciding set to seal the upset.
Speaking after the match, Sakkari opened up about the mental struggle behind the result.
“I’m speechless because it’s been a while since I’ve had a big day like today. When you drop in the rankings and you’re not playing good tennis, you start doubting yourself. You’re thinking you’re never gonna beat those players again. It’s a huge process that you have to go through in your head that you can do it. Last year in the second round against her, I was not confident. I was not believing in myself. This year it’s different. I have to say I feel a lot better.”
The win marks the 30th top-10 victory of Sakkari’s career and a major boost in confidence as she moves into the Doha semifinals.
