Maria Sakkari responds after double-bounce controversy in win over Iga Swiatek

Maria Sakkari shocked the tennis world with her win over Iga Swiatek in a thrilling battle at the Qatar Open.

It was a big moment for Sakkari, who has been open about her struggles in recent years as her career has plateaued.

She was once considered one of the sport’s rising stars, but it’s now been nearly five years since she advanced beyond the fourth round of a Grand Slam.

Now, she finds herself just two wins away from a second WTA 1000 title, having claimed her first in 2023.

Sakkari’s performance brought plenty of excitement, but there was also controversy late in the third set that became a talking point after the match.

Maria Sakkari and Iga Swiatek respond to double-bounce controversy

During a tense exchange from the baseline, Sakkari produced a clever drop shot, which led to some confusion about whether Swiatek had managed to return it cleanly.

Sakkari’s reaction suggested she thought the ball had bounced twice before Swiatek got her racket under it. Play continued, with Swiatek hitting a backhand winner, but Sakkari raised her concerns immediately.

The point was initially given to Swiatek, but after video review, the decision was overturned in favour of Sakkari. Reflecting on the moment after the match, Swiatek said: “I didn’t know if I, I mean, from the physics, how the ball went. It was either from the floor or I framed it. So I wasn’t sure, honestly.”

Sakkari didn’t blame her opponent but expressed appreciation for the technology in place: “It’s great that we have it because imagine if we didn’t have it today.

“I feel like it’s very tough also for the umpire to see because you don’t know how they put the racquet. And they’re not robots; they’re human beings, and they can lose balance with their vision.

“It’s the first time I’ve used it and I’m happy that it exists.”

She added: “Sometimes maybe you’re confused. I’m not saying that she knew or anything like that of course, but sometimes you do know. But you can also be unsure about how [it] was.”

Afterwards in an on-court interview shown on Prime Video Sport YouTube Channel (via Eurosport) Maria Sakkari reacted by saying: “Speechless really right now! First of all thank you everyone for being here tonight and making this so special.

Maria Sakkari’s journey to the Qatar Open semi-finals

Sakkari dropped her first set of the tournament against Swiatek but still found a way back, snapping an incredible 109-match run for the former world number one.

It was also Swiatek’s first loss in that stretch after taking the opening set, highlighting just how rare a result this was for both players.

Sakkari had been dominant in her earlier rounds, easing past Zeynep Sönmez, Jasmine Paolini, and Varvara Gracheva without dropping a set.

Now, with both sides of her game on display—power and resilience—she faces Karolína Muchová next, with a spot in the final up for grabs.

Read more: