The 2025 tennis season has officially kicked off, and the excitement is already off the charts! All eyes are on Australia as the United Cup takes center stage in Sydney and Perth, setting the tone for what promises to be an unforgettable year. Leading the charge and stealing the spotlight? None other than the dynamic Greek duo of Stefanos Tsitsipas and Maria Sakkari. The pair has hit the ground running, delivering a stunning victory that has fans buzzing with excitement. But it’s not just the win that’s grabbing attention—it’s the sheer joy radiating from Tsitsipas.

Tsitsipas and Sakkari fought a tight battle against Sergio Martos and Yvonne Cavallé Reimers of Spain and were on the brink of defeat, especially after the first set. However, they managed to keep their calm intact and pulled a stellar victory, 4-6, 6-3, and 10-6 in 1 hour and 34 minutes to not just remain in the tournament, but also attempt to win the title for their country. Tsitsipas, meanwhile, failed to contain his happiness after the sensational encounter. 

Taking to his X account, the Greek ATP sensation posted a video of himself as he joyfully embraced Sakkari after the remarkable win. Captioning the post, he wrote, “It’s not Greek night without a little drama 🎭 @mariasakkari.” He made a similar remark during the on-court interview and said, “There isn’t a single Greek night without some drama, so I’d like to thank her [Maria Sakkari] for being my partner in crime on that drama night that we were able to capture tonight.” Interestingly, a similar happiness was highlighted by Sakkari too. 

“I want to say that I am very, very happy with how we recovered after losing the first set, how we regained momentum, and how we felt on the court. I think it was an important victory for the future. I am very happy that we managed to win the tie. Thank you, Stef, for winning in singles,” she said after the match. Remember, this victory was much needed for both players to keep their hopes alive in the tournament. 

The Greek campaign began on a shocking note after Sakkari conceded a shocking defeat and was crushed by Jessica Bouzas Maneiro 6-2, 6-1 in 72 minutes. Tsitsipas soon came to the rescue in the next match and managed to outshine Spaniard Pablo Carreno Busta 6-4, 4-6, 6-3. With the decider mixed doubles match initially deviating towards the Spanish side, the pressure on the Greek players was evident. However, the duo managed to keep their calm intact and gradually progressed towards victory, and hence the happiness is quite understandable. But despite pulling off a remarkable victory, Tsitsipas seems to be a little disappointed because of certain aspects of his match. 

Stefanos Tsitsipas unhappy over his service game

Stefanos Tsitsipas definitely helped Greece continue its campaign at the United Cup. However, on a personal level, he does not seem to be completely satisfied with his overall performance in the match and wishes to improve on certain aspects of his skills, especially his serve ahead of his campaign at the Australian Open, for which he is quite motivated. 

Speaking about the same, the Greek star said, “I try and improve in all aspects of my game. It’s disappointing today because I felt I could have served a little bit better. There were times I felt my percentages could have been better in singles but also in doubles, especially when I was serving on the advantage side. A few instances, moments where I was perhaps missing a bit too much, especially when I’m used to having a different outcome.” Remember, Tsitsipas made a couple of mistakes, especially in his Singles match. His error-strewn ninth game in the second set gifted Carreno Busta his first break of serve, undoing all of the Greek’s efforts from the first set, and bringing the match to tie, before Tsitsipas again bounced back to win the match in the third set. 

Now, as the tournament unfolds, it would be interesting to see if Sakkari and Tsitsipas can overcome their challenges and win more matches to etch their names on the title.