Emma Raducanu’s unblemished record against Maria Sakkari ended on Monday following a three-set loss to the Greek star at the United Cup.
World No 51 Sakkari backed up her impressive opening win versus Naomi Osaka with another impressive win against Raducanu, beating the world No 29 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 inside the RAC Arena in Perth.
Sakkari had never beaten Raducanu in four previous meetings against the 23-year-old — and had not previously won a set in any of those contests — though she ran away with the deciding set in this encounter, after the pair split two tight sets.
With Stefanos Tsitsipas battling past Billy Harris earlier in the evening, her win over Raducanu sealed victory in the tie and ensured Greece’s progression into the knockout stage of the mixed team event.
“It feels amazing,” said Sakkari, speaking in her on-court interview.
“Thank you so much guys [the fans] for staying. I know it’s very, very late, so thank you for staying and supporting us. It means a lot for us. Having the team by my side really, really helped me today.
“Emma, I’ve had four tough losses against her, so to get that first win against her, against a great opponent, it means a lot — especially delivering for Team Greece. I’m super happy.”
Victory represents a huge positive for Sakkari, who has tumbled down the rankings in recent years after reaching a career-high of world No 3 back in 2022.
The Greek dropped out of the top 75 of the WTA Rankings midway through the 2025 season, though could be in line to return to the top 50 once the United Cup has concluded.
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However, defeat will undoubtedly raise further concerns for Raducanu.
The 23-year-old was forced out of her potential match against Osaka on Sunday due to physical concerns, and faded towards the end of her match against Sakkari.
Raducanu is now riding a four-match losing streak on the WTA Tour and, having tasted defeat to an opponent she had faced little trouble against previously, will need to recover both mentally and physically ahead of her return to court.
Assuming Great Britain does not qualify for the United Cup knockout stages as one of the best second-placed teams from group stage action, Raducanu’s next tournament will be the Hobart International.
The world No 29 is currently the second-highest-ranked woman entered into the event, only trailing world No 19 Elise Mertens, and will be eyeing up a return to winning ways just days out from the Australian Open.
Action at the Australian Open gets underway on Sunday, January 18, with the 23-year-old currently in line to be seeded at a Grand Slam event for the first time since the 2022 US Open.
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