The new series of Break Point is set to air on Netflix on Wednesday and among its more compelling episodes features Greek star Maria Sakkari as she lived through a challenging 2023.
Former world No 3 Sakkari broke down in tears in her press conference after an early exit at last year’s US Open, as it became clear that she was struggling to cope with the pressures of playing at the highest level of the game.
The raw footage begins with Sakkari talking to her Anett Kontaveit as the pair practice at Wimbledon last summer.
They speak about Kontaveit’s decision to quit tennis and then the footage cuts to Sakkari talking about her own anxiety as she also pondered whether her life would be better away from tennis.
“Tennis is a brutal sport,” began Sakkari.
“Last year, everything was going great. Getting to No 3 (in the rankings), but then there was a decline. I lost my mind a little bit.
“It came so fast. Just the idea of being that close to being world No 1. I was not ready for it.
“I thought I was going to faint and it wasn’t a pleasant feeling. I was in a dark place for six months.
“I was just mentally and emotionally empty. I was scared stepping on the court.
“I have all these people saying that when I get to the later stages of a tournament, I’m guaranteed to lose. That gets in your head. Because of this, I’ve had many tough moments
