Who is Maria Sakkari? Meet the former world No. 3 facing Alex Eala in the Hong Kong Tennis Open

Alexandra 'Alex' Eala is getting closer to another shot at a WTA title, but her path to the Hong Kong Open final runs through a familiar name among the sport's elite in Greece's Maria Sakkari.

Eala and Sakkari will duke it out for a finals berth in the semifinals set at around 4 p.m. at Centre Court, with the winner facing either Russian Alexandra Shubladze or American Claire Liu in the championship round.

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Sakkari is a veteran star who has been competing on the WTA Tour since 2015, marking her debut in style by reaching the prestigious US Open main draw as a qualifier.

Since then, the Greek sensation has been steady in her rise in the global scene. She became the first player from Greece to win a main draw match at a Slam after reaching the Australian Open second round in 2016 before capturing her first WTA title in 2019 in the WTA250 Rabat.

Sakkari then seized her first WTA1000 title four years later, ruling the Guadalajara Open as the second seed in 2023.

Before that, Sakkari peaked at No. 3 in the WTA rankings in 2022 following a finals appearance in the WTA1000 Indian Wells, where she bowed to Iga Swiatek in the finals.

Sakkari's momentum was derailed by a shoulder injury in 2024, forcing her to cut her season short after retiring from her first-round match at that year's US Open. The setback also saw her slip out of the WTA Top 30, as she worked her way back to form in the succeeding seasons.

Overall, Sakkari has had two Grand Slam semifinals appearances, establishing herself as one of the top contenders in the tournament.

—JKC, GMA News