Spanning from Friday, December 27, 2024, to Sunday, January 5, 2025, the United Cup in Australia serves as a familiar and invigorating setting for Greece’s tennis stars, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Maria Sakkari, as they embark on revitalized 2025 seasons.
In the absence of a major tournament in their homeland, Tsitsipas and Sakkari find a sense of belonging Down Under, backed by a fervent Greek community that rallies behind them in cities like Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane, and now Sydney.
Competing in Perth for the 2025 United Cup group stage, both athletes are keen to recover from slumps in their rankings — Tsitsipas having slipped to World No.11 and Sakkari to No.32 after an injury-shortened season.
As a new year unfolds, the duo seeks fresh starts in Australia, where past semifinal and quarterfinal appearances at the United Cup underline their competitive potential. Their chemistry on the mixed doubles court further bolsters their prospects, each having reached impressive milestones in Grand Slam tournaments.
Tsitsipas’s poetic demeanor and distinctive one-handed backhand, along with Sakkari’s admirable fitness and “Sakkattack” nickname, contribute to their status as driving forces for tennis’s popularity surge in Greece. Off the court, their interests in philosophy, photography, and fitness shape uniquely vibrant personalities.
Both featured in the Netflix series “Break Point,” gaining them a wider audience. Sakkari noted the positive exposure, saying it allowed people to connect with her beyond her play.
As they don the Greek colors once more, Tsitsipas and Sakkari hope to channel their cultural pride and fanatical support into an advantageous presence at the United Cup, leaving other competitors to reckon with their formidable aura.
