Maria Sakkari: I feel 23 years old physically and spiritually

Located in Australia in the last few days and preparing for the first grand slam of the year, . The leading Greek tennis player, Maria Sakkaris, has left behind her injury and will try to display a competitive face at the Australian Open. CORVERSE Speaking on SBS Greek, the Greek champion referred to the five months she was absent from the action, but also the new challenge she has ahead. “I am healthy, which is the most important of all. I had a very good preparation, I spent a long time at home that was something I missed for many years,” said Maria Sakkari at first. On whether the period left out of court due to the injury was constructive: “I think it is more upbuilding. When you spend time with your own people, you’re at home, eating your food, sleeping in your bed, which is the simplest things, but it’s the things you miss. So, I saw it, I saw the positive that I was injured and I was out and generally had a great time at home.” CORVERSE About whether he thinks that in a few months he goes into 30: ‘I don’t think about it too much to be honest. It’s the last years of a tennis career since 30, especially a woman, but generally in life you’re still too young. I feel much younger than I am, I feel 23 years old even physically and spiritually. I’m sure I’ve matured too much and some decisions I wouldn’t have made 7-8 years ago, but in general I think it’s not something that worries me or weighs me down.” How to manage her absence: “It was very important that I played two games at the United Cup and the mixed, and then four other games at Adelaide. Generally with everyone I talk to with players who have stayed out before and today with Paula I talked to tells me it takes time. I thought I’d come back and play the way I used to, but it’s not like that. I got a roof on my head. Because I don’t have that experience, I’ve never been out for months, I have to give myself time. And that’s the big challenge, accepting that for X months I may not be so stable, not having fixed results. The point is that that is where I must insist and I must accept that it will take some time.” For the historical change of administration in EKOA : “I think tennis in Greece needed a change and all players felt it, ex-and-now. The new administration should focus on how to develop the sport in young ages. The point is not how you bring a WTA or an ATP tournament, because that is not only up to the federation. The point is how you will organize the race in the young, if you can set up a federal center that we miss too much, sponsorships to travel the children more, to have better coaches, better bases. Things that are reasonable and self-evident in other countries, but we didn’t even see them with binoculars. To support the world: “There are good people in the world and I generally believe that people love me and support me, which I appreciate very much. But there are others who, after the first difficulty, the first game, will turn around and scream at me and say I can’t play tennis anymore. So I only focus on good people now and I’m lucky to have a very good family, a companion, a very good team, my brothers are extremely, terrible friends. I have no complaints from people around me.”