Sakkari Returns To DC Open, Feels Right At Home

Maria Sakkari, DC Open, Washington
Maria Sakkari (photo: Wick Photography/Mubadala Citi DC Open)

WASHINGTON, JULY 25, 2025 (by Michael Dickens)

At the outset of the Mubadala Citi DC Open, Maria Sakkari‘s goal was to be able to perform well enough in the ATP/WTA 500 combined event so she could celebrate her birthday on the tennis court.

Guess what?

Not only will Sakkari be able to celebrate her 30th birthday Friday in Washington, D.C., which has become a home away from home for the Greek star, she will play in the quarterfinal round against 2021 US Open champion Emma Raducanu of Great Britain, who eliminated four-time major winner Naomi Osaka of Japan in the second round Thursday afternoon.

“I really want to do well,” the 90th-ranked Sakkari told reporters Wednesday evening after defeating World No. 11 and second seed Emma Navarro of the United States, 7-5, 7-6 (1), in a second-round tussle that lasted one hour and 59 minutes on Stadium Court.

“My goal was I really wanted to spend my birthday here, so now I’m actually going to spend my birthday on Friday here. Hopefully with a win, but I’m just excited that I can, be home and just feel how – because I don’t have a tournament at home in Greece – just experience the whole, how can I say, atmosphere around playing at your home tournament. Well, not home tournament, but … adopted home.”

The story behind Sakkari, who was born in Athens and also maintains a residence in Monaco, choosing the capital city of the United States as her “adopted” home” – and not having to live out of a hotel room while competing at the DC Open – is one filled with love and happiness.

“My boyfriend went to Georgetown [University] for his graduate school (School of Foreign Service) and he works here,” explained Sakkari, who finished runner-up to Coco Gauff at the DC Open in 2023. “So, love sometimes makes you move. So yeah, that’s the connection.”

Last year, Sakkari ended her season early due to a shoulder injury she sustained at the Paris Olympic Games. It’s an injury that led her to retire from her first-round match against Wang Yafan at the US Open and ultimately prompted her to shut down her season to recover. The former World No. 3 saw her ranking drop outside the Top 25 by the end of 2024.

During her recovery period, Sakkari spent some time in Washington, D.C., working out at Georgetown while getting to know the city better with her boyfriend.

When it was time to return to the WTA Tour, Sakkari struggled to regain her form at the start of 2025. She lost in the first round of the Australian Open to Camila Osorio of Colombia, then went on to lose 10 of her first 16 WTA Tour main-draw matches. After reaching the round of 16 in Madrid and the second round in Rome, after going through qualies to make the main draw, Sakkari lost in the opening round of the French Open. Soon after, she lost in the second round at Wimbledon to Elena Rybakina. 

This week, ranked 90th and playing with a wild card in Washington, a determined-looking Sakkari has begun to show signs of her former self. She’s strung together consecutive wins over No. 41 Katie Boulter of Great Britain and Navarro without dropping a set, which improved her win-loss record for the season to 15-18. She’s been striking the ball well, hitting with power, and showing plenty of all-court hustle. Sakkari will be tested against Raducanu on Friday. 

“I knew it was going to start picking up at some point, it’s been good, it hasn’t been where I want it to be, but it’s a good start,” Sakkari admitted. “I just feel like, you know, it was going to happen sooner or later.

“I’m just so happy that I get to play good tennis here in D.C., because I love this swing. I feel like it’s very good for my game.”

Sakkari said she looks forward to the remainder of the season because it’s all on hard-court surfaces. “You know, hard court is my best surface, for sure,” she said. “I love clay, as well, but I’ll take hard court any day. I’m just so excited, because I had a week off. It’s really helped me. I feel like recharged and ready to go for, you know, full calendar now hopefully.”

With very few points to defend the remainder of the 2025 season, don’t be surprised if Sakkari makes a charge up the WTA Rankings ladder between now and the end of the year.

“You know, it’s challenging,” Sakkari admits. “That’s why they say it’s one thing getting to the top, it’s another thing staying. So, for me, there is a lot of respect for players that stayed all those years at the top of the game, for sure.”

At home, fan favorite Tiafoe reaches fourth-straight DC Open quarterfinal

Maryland-native and World No. 11 Frances Tiafoe feels at home playing the DC Open this week – and crowds have been eager to see him play – even practice, too. Tiafoe has been a Stadium Court draw in three of the first four nights of the tournament. On Monday, he teamed with Ben Shelton in an entertaining first-round doubles match, which the Americans ultimate lost to veteran Aussies Matthew Ebden and John Peers. Then, Tiafoe closed the Stadium on Wednesday with a three-set victory over fellow American Aleksandar Kovacevic.

On Thursday, Tiafoe took on last year’s finalist Flavio Cobolli of Italy in third-round action. At stake, Tiafoe aimed to join Hall of Famer Andre Agassi and Alexander Zverev as the only men to reach the Washington, D.C. quarterfinals in four consecutive years since 2000 – and, just as importantly, to reach his third quarterfinal of this season and first off clay. Meanwhile, Cobolli , the only 2025 ATP 500 champion remaining in the draw, looked to become the first Italian man to reach multiple DC Open quarterfinals. 

Tiafoe’s 6-1, 6-4 victory over the 18th-ranked Cobolli in 72 minutes, in which he hit 19 winners – including eight aces – set up a dream all-American quarterfinal on Friday evening between Tiafoe and No. 4 seed Shelton, after the World No. 8 and former NCAA champion from the University of Florida advanced earlier in the day with a 61-minute 6-3, 6-2 victory over No. 15 seed Gabriel Diallo of Canada, highlighted by Shelton’s 16 aces and near-perfect serving performance, in which he won 86 percent of all of his service points – dropping just six the entire match. Shelton will take a 2-1 head-to-head advantage into their quarterfinal smackdown.

“I’m excited,” Tiafoe said of the last eight match-up against Shelton. “We’re great friends. We played an incredible match at the Open last year, I think that’s the best we actually both played. He got me the first couple of times.

“He’s a great player, a great friend of mine. Laver Cups, Davis Cups. We talk to each other outside of the game, we hang out outside of the game. I love that dude, but tomorrow obviously there’s no friends. We’re going to try to cut each other’s heads off, and the crowd’s going to love it. I’m going to love the competition, and I hope to get over the line.”

Tiafoe defines what it means to be a fan favorite. He’s been much sought after for selfies and autographs and fans have flocked to his practice sessions, too. “Yeah, I’m just excited to play. It’s just fun to play, fun to be out here” he said. “I’m in D.C. Go to Toronto next week. … Cincinnati, so chill. 

“Then, obviously, US Open is the best tournament in the world. I feel locked in, man. I feel super motivated. It’s not really about how I’m playing. Just compete, just dig in, just compete and get one and try to get another. One and try to play better each and every match.”

Major stars, Raducanu and Osaka face off for the first time

The parallel journeys of Emma Raducanu of Great Britain and Naomi Osaka of Japan, both major champions, brought them to the DC Open for the first time together. Both have played in Washington, D.C. before – Raducanu is making her third main-draw appearance after twice reaching the quarterfinals in 2022 and 2024, and Osaka her second – but not at the same time.

On Thursday, the 46th-ranked Raducanu and 51st-ranked Osaka – faced each on the tennis court for the first time and the 22-year-old British No. 2 parlayed three breaks of serve into a 6-4, 6-2 victory in one hour and 20 minutes on Stadium Court under warm, sunny conditions with temperatures nearing 90º Fahrenheit (32º Celsius). The triumph advanced Raducanu to her third DC Open quarterfinal. If it’s any indicator, Raducanu-Osaka could be the making of a competitive and entertaining rivalry for the future among these multicultural superstars.

While their rankings at not near the top of the women’s game – that belongs to the likes of Aryna Sabalenka, Coco Gauff and Iga Swiatek, all whom have played in the DC Open in the recent past – and neither has won a major title since 2021, Raducanu and Osaka are two of the biggest names – and marketable personalities – in tennis and in women’s sports. They have cashed in on their popularity and both are well liked and admired by fans. Thursday’s crowd at the William H.G. FitzGerald Tennis Center in Rock Creek Park seemed equally divided – and both players received appreciative support from the Washington, D.C. fans.

After defeating No. 7 seed Marta Kostyuk earlier in the week, Raducanu said she looked forward to facing Osaka. “I think it’s a great match for a lot of spectators, which is great to be a part of. I felt the same way when I played Aryna at Wimbledon. That atmosphere was unbeatable for me. Playing at Wimbledon, especially,” she said.

“I seem to really thrive and enjoy that moment. I’m looking forward to again playing Naomi, and I think all the exposure I get to these top opponents. She’s won four Grand Slams, so an incredible achievement and incredible career so far, and she’s been playing really good tennis this year. Yeah, it will be a great test of my own game and myself.

As for Osaka’s perspective of taking on Raducanu, she said she’s a person who loves nothing more than when people are entertained. “So I would say I’m excited about it,” Osaka said after defeating Yulia Putintseva earlier this week in the first round. “I’ve never played her before, so for me, that’s something really cool too. Because I have seen her, I guess when she first did well at Wimbledon before she won the US Open, like moments like that, and I knew she was a good player. So I guess for our paths to finally cross is really cool.”

Raducanu, who put away the victory over Osaka on her third match-point opportunity, put on a solid serving display and prevailed by being the more consistent player. She won 74 percent of her first serve points, hit four aces and 12 total winners, saved the only break point she faced while converting three of four break points against Osaka. Although Osaka countered with 19 winners – including five aces – she also committed seven double faults and made 38 unforced errors. Raducanu outpointed the Japanese superstar 62-47 to advance to Friday’s quarterfinal match-up against 90th-ranked Greek wild card Maria Sakkari.

“I felt it was going to be a real difficult match. Naomi has won four Slams and was World No. 1. She’s so dangerous and comfortable on the hard court,” Raducanu said during her on-court interview. “So, I knew I was going to have to play well and manage my own service games [to win], which I’m proud of how I did.”

Around the DC Open

• Former DC Open finalist Daniil Medvedev of Russia advanced to the quarterfinal round after ending the exciting run of 243rd-ranked Chinese qualifier Wu Yibing, 6-3, 6-2, in one hour and nine minutes on Stadium Court. En route to extending his tour-record of most hard-court wins since the start of the 2018 season, the eighth-seeded Medvedev kept Wu from becoming the first Chinese’s men’s quarterfinalist in event history and lowest-ranked men’s quarterfinalist since No. 832 Andy Murray in 2018.

Medvedev fired 11 aces, hit 18 winners overall and won 93 percent of his first-serve points – dropping just two points on his first serve. He converted four of 13 break points and outpointed Wu 64-39.

Next, Medvedev will face 59th-ranked lucky loser Corentin Moutet of France, who defeated 144th-ranked wild card Daniel Evans of Great Britain, who won the 2023 DC Open title, 6-2, 7-6 (4), in one hour and 40 minutes on the Grandstand. Moutet ended Evans’s seven-match winning streak and Moutet is the third lucky loser to reach the Washington, D.C. quarterfinals.

• No. 32 Brandon Nakashima of the United States reached his 20th career ATP Tour quarterfinal and third above ATP 250 level after defeating No. 41 Cameron Norrie of Great Britain, 7-6 (3), 6-3, in one hour and 47 minutes on John Harris Court. The 14th seed Nakashima struck 12 aces and hit 31 overall winners. He won 78 percent of his first-serve points, saved both break points he faced and broke Norrie’s serve twice in five attempts. Nakashima outpointed the British lefty 75-60.

Next, he will face No. 7 seed Alex de Minaur of Australia, who held on to defeat No. 11 seed Jiri Lehecka of Czechia, 7-6 (4), 6-7 (6), 6-4, in two hours and 45 minutes on John Harris Court. De Minaur outpointed Lehecka 118-101.

• American No. 1 and top seed Taylor Fritz defeated 44th-ranked Italian Matteo Arnaldi, 6-3, 6-4, in one hour and 41 minutes on John Harris Court to make it four players from the United States into the quarterfinals. Fritz, who is 15-2 since the beginning of June and has won titles at Stuttgart and Eastbourne, is through to his fourth quarterfinal in his last five tournaments, including his semifinal finish at Wimbledon. Next, he will face No. 12 seed Alejandro Davidovich Fokina of Spain, who eliminated 67th-ranked American Learner Tien, 6-2, 6-2, in 70 minutes on the Grandstand.

• In men’s doubles, No. 1 seeds Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori of Italy advanced to the semifinal round with a 6-4, 6-3 victory over qualifiers Alexander Erler of Austria and Robert Galloway of the United States in one hour and 17 minutes on Court 4. Next, they will face either Yuki Bhambri of India and Michael Venus of New Zealand or Neal Skupski of Great Britain and John-Patrick Smith of Australia, who play their quarterfinal match on Friday.

Also, No. 3 seeds Hugo Nys of Monaco and Edouard Roger-Vasselin of France advanced to the semifinal round with a 4-6, 6-3, 10-6 win over Matthew Ebden and John Peers of Australia, in 91 minutes on the Grandstand. In the semifinals, they will face Maximo Gonzalez and Andres Molteni of Argentina, who advanced with a 6-2, 6-3 win over Flavio Cobolli of Italy and Alejandro Davidovich Fokina of Spain in one hour and 14 minutes on the Grandstand.

• In women’s singles, No. 5 seed Magdalena Frech of Poland ended the run of 45-year-old American icon Venus Williams, 6-2, 6-2, in 73 minutes on Stadium Court. Frech won 87 percent of her first-serve points, broke Williams’ serve five times in five attempts and outpointed her 58-30. Frech will face No. 3 seed Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan in the quarterfinals on Friday.

On Tuesday, Williams became the oldest player to win a WTA Tour-level match since 2004, when Martina Navratilova won a round at Wimbledon at age 47.

“I think it was really emotional match for me, for sure,” Frech said during her post-match news conference. “You know, if you are playing Venus Williams here in U.S., it’s always tough with the supporters, crowd, and the media and all the stuff.

“I saw her match in her first round, and she played amazing. So I knew it’s going to be a really tough match. But I think I was prepared really good with my coach.”

Meanwhile, Williams remained upbeat when she spoke to reporters after her loss. “Oh, I had so much fun. Definitely not the result I wanted, but still a learning experience. The part about sport in life is that you never stop learning,” she said.

• In women’s doubles, No. 1 seeds Asia Muhammad of the United States and Erin Routliffe of Australia defeated Xu Yifan and Yang Zhaoxuan of China, 6-2, 5-7, 10-7, in one hour and 35 minutes on Court 4. Next, they will face Americans Caroline Dolehide and Sofia Kenin, who beat No. 3 seeds Chan Hao-Ching of Taiwan and Jiang Xinyu of China, 6-3, 6-4m, in the semifinal round.

Thursday’s DC Open men’s results

Thursday’s DC Open women’s results

Friday’s DC Open order of play

By the numbers

Women’s No. 1 seed Jessica Pegula, who won the 2019 DC Open title, came into her second-round match against No. 36 Leylah Fernandez of Canada with a 9-0 lifetime win-loss record against Canadian opponents. However, Pegula’s streak of good fortune came crashing down on her after Fernandez pulled off the upset of the World No. 4 from the United States, 6-3, 1-6, 7-5, in two hours and 19 minutes on John Harris Court Thursday evening. It was Fernandez’s first win over Pegula in three meetings.

Fernandez will face 97th-ranked American qualifier Taylor Townsend in Friday’s quarterfinal round. Earlier Thursday, Townsend eliminated No. 6 seed Sofia Kenin of the United States, 6-3, 6-0, in 57 minutes on John Harris Court.

“Quotable …”

“I love this city in particular. I think there’s so much greenery. There are so many nice museums. But it’s important to, as you say, build a home in these cities, because we’re on the road for six, seven weeks at a time, and if you just stick to your hotel room, it can get very difficult and tiresome. So, you need to create these pockets of normality and also enjoying these cities.

“Because people come to D.C., for example, on a holiday, and they go and like visit the museums and I’m in the city doing what I love and I have spare time. So, when I do, I try and go and do the same things, and it makes me a lot more relaxed, makes me happier, and I found that I perform better as well when I’m having a better balance of switching on and also switching off.”

– Emma Raducanu of Great Britain, during her post-match news conference following her first-round win against Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine, on building a home in cities that she competes in.

 

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