In a triumphant moment at the 2023 Guadalajara Open, Maria Sakkari expressed her gratitude to Gabriela Sabatini, a former World No. 3, during her victory speech. Sakkari secured her second WTA title and her first WTA 1000 trophy by defeating Caroline Dolehide with a score of 7-5, 6-3 in the final on September 23. This marked the end of a four-year title drought for the World No. 9, and she chose to extend her special appreciation to Sabatini, the 1990 US Open winner, who graced the Guadalajara Open’s summit clash with her presence.
The connection between Sakkari’s mother, Angeliki Kanellopolou, and Sabatini dates back to the 1980s when they were colleagues on the women’s tennis tour. In her speech, Sakkari warmly addressed Sabatini, saying, “Gabi, thank you for being here today. I know you played with my mom, I know you were a lot better than her, but she admires you a lot. She always spoke very highly of you.”
Sakkari went on to reveal that Sabatini’s presence in the audience for the Saturday match had a profound impact on her, providing her with the inspiration to clinch the victory. She expressed, “You’re a person that she looked up to, and thank you for being here; it was a huge inspiration having you on the courtside today.”
Not only did Sakkari acknowledge Sabatini, but she also praised her opponent, Caroline Dolehide, for her relentless dedication and hard work throughout the tournament in Mexico. Sakkari commended Dolehide by stating, “I want to congratulate Caro, I mean I’ve known you for so many years. You’ve put in the work, as you said… with your coach, with your team. I always knew you had an amazing game; it was about time for it to click, and you know it happened this week. You have so many opportunities to come up, and this is just the beginning.”
Sakkari’s gratitude extended to the passionate spectators inside Akron Tennis Stadium, who had supported her tirelessly. She began by acknowledging the efforts of the tournament’s organizers, Gustavo Santoscoy and his son, expressing her appreciation for their dedication to women’s tennis. “I would like to thank the Gustavos, as you call them, Gustavo Sr. and Gustavo Jr. I said it last year that you’re two amazing people. All this work that you put behind, for us women, it’s just unbelievable,” she remarked.
Sakkari concluded her victory speech by declaring her happiness at being a part of the Guadalajara project and emphasized that the city had become a second home for her. She expressed her heartfelt thanks to the fans, reiterating, “I’m so happy to be a part of this group, this project, just being here and celebrating with you guys. And with all of you guys (to the spectators). I said it so many times, I’m gonna repeat myself. This is my second home; thank you so much.”
