In a thrilling opening for the 2026 United Cup, Maria Sakkari ignited Greece’s campaign in Perth by decisively overcoming her past disappointments from last year’s round-robin stage. She delivered a stunning performance against four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka, who currently ranks 16th in the world, securing her victory in straight sets with scores of 6-4 and 6-2.
This match marked their first encounter in nearly five years, and it was Sakkari, a former world No. 3, who set the tone for Greece's opening tie against Japan. The match took place at the RAC Arena and lasted 1 hour and 38 minutes, with Sakkari showcasing her dominance through quick starts in each set.
🚨 Enter the SakkAttack! 💥 As Team Greece takes the lead in Perth, this is just the beginning of an exciting tournament!
Sakkari was quick off the mark, establishing a 2-0 lead right away by holding her serve and breaking Osaka in her very first service game. Although Osaka responded with a break of her own, Sakkari swiftly regained the lead and closed out the first set with a brilliant backhand winner that painted the line, converting her third set point in style.
"I have a very good backhand cross," Sakkari commented following her impressive win. "We’ve had numerous battles playing against each other, so I felt that the player who first went down the line had the best chance to win the point. This was something we emphasized during our preseason training, and today it definitely paid off."
As the second set commenced, both players exchanged holds before Sakkari fended off two break points to maintain a 2-1 advantage. Following this, she broke Osaka’s serve once more to extend her lead to 3-1, maintaining her composure and control throughout the remainder of the match. This victory not only marked Sakkari’s third win in their six encounters but also leveled their head-to-head record, while importantly giving Greece a 1-0 advantage in the tie against Japan.
