Maria Sakkari delivered one of the most sensational performances in recent times, upsetting the top seed Iga Świątek at the 2026 Qatar Open. After losing the first set, the Greek player mounted an impressive comeback to secure the next two sets and the semifinal berth.
After beating the World No. 2, Sakkari expressed her true feelings during the on-court interview, where she got emotional while talking about her progress.
Maria Sakkari Beats Iga Świątek to Reach Qatar Open Semifinal
The World No. 52 beat Świątek 2-6, 6-4, 7-5 in the quarterfinal in a two-hour and 30-minute battle to reach the semifinal of the WTA 1000 Qatar Open. Despite losing the first set, the Greek player didn’t lose hope and kept fighting till the last point to secure a win against the World No. 2.
During the post-match on-court interview, the interviewer asked Sakkari about what the win meant to her. She got emotional while answering the question, reflecting on the progress she and her team had made to reach this position.
Answering the question, Sakkari talked about the mental block that a player needs to overcome to achieve success, saying, “I’m speechless because it’s been a while since I’ve had a big win 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.”
MORE: Iga Świątek Leaves Maria Sakkari in Disbelief As Double Bounce Controversy Erupts in Qatar Open Loss
She then mentioned the round of 32 clash from last year’s Qatar Open, saying, “Last year, in the 2nd 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.” Sakkari faced Świątek on Feb. 10, 2025, losing 3-6, 2-6 in a match completely dominated by the Polish champion.
Maria Sakkari after beating Iga Swiatek to reach Doha SF
“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… pic.twitter.com/ZuNfSE0hz0
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) February 12, 2026
The interviewer then mentioned that with this win, she reached the third semifinal in Doha and asked the Greek’s thoughts on the achievement.
She talked about the joy of making a deep run at a tournament, crediting her team for the success, saying, “It’s amazing. It’s one of the best tournaments of the season, so it’s a huge honor, and I just feel like it’s a privilege to be in that position again after a while. I’ve missed that feeling of going deep into tournaments, and I feel like we’ve put in a lot of work with Tom and the rest of the team. So, I think it was a nice gift to us.”
Sakkari’s History in Doha and Recent Performances
Sakkari previously reached the semifinals in 2022, beating Ann Li, Jessica Pegula, and Coco Gauff, but ultimately lost 4-6, 3-6 to the eventual champion, Świątek. The very next year, she came back with the same momentum, beating Qinwen Zheng, Ekaterina Alexandrova, and Caroline Garcia to reach consecutive semifinals, where she fell 2-6, 6-4, 1-6 to Pegula despite winning the second set.
This year marks the third semifinal appearance for the Greek, where she will either face Karolína Muchová or Anna Kalinskaya , in hopes of reaching her first final.
If we take a look at the statistics from Sakkari’s quarterfinal clash against Świątek, both players delivered an equally strong performance; however, the Greek shone during the most crucial points. While she didn’t land any aces and committed more double faults than the Pole, she managed to control the rallies, winning the points that mattered to switch the match in her favour.
This win also marked Sakkari’s first win against Świątek since 2021, after losing four consecutive matches against the Polish champion, twice in Doha and two times in Indian Wells. The Greek has now won seven out of her 10 matches in 2026 so far, showing incredible form.
She also registered her first win against British No. 1 Emma Raducanu at the 2026 United, notably, winning her first set against her. She would be looking forward to reaching her first final since Indian Wells 2024 and winning the third WTA title of her career.
