Maria Sakkari claimed a straight-sets victory over sixth seed Jasmine Paolini, 6-4, 6-2, at the Qatar Open on February 10, 2026. The unseeded Greek player advanced to the round of 16 despite earlier expressing concerns about the matchup. This win marks one of her strongest performances of the season.
Maria Sakkari entered the Qatar Open unseeded after a drop in rankings and faced a formidable challenge against Jasmine Paolini in the second round. Prior to the match, following her first-round straight-sets win over Zeynep Sönmez, Sakkari acknowledged the difficulty ahead. She stated, “That’s the unfortunate situation when you’re not seeded. When you drop in the rankings, and you have to play someone as good as Jasmine. It’s going to be a very tough match, I believe, for both of us. We’ve had some great battles throughout our careers. It’s gonna be one of them, I’m sure. I feel good. It was a great match today, I’m looking forward to tomorrow.”
On court, Sakkari delivered a composed performance, serving three aces and winning 75% of her first-serve points, compared to Paolini's 50%. The 30-year-old Greek secured the first set 6-4 and dominated the second 6-2, showcasing confidence under pressure. This result advances her to the round of 16, where she will face the winner of the match between Linda Noskova and Varvara Gracheva.
Sakkari's season had started with setbacks, including a Round of 32 loss to Daria Kasatkina at the Adelaide International and a first-round straight-sets defeat to Mirra Andreeva at the Australian Open, where she suffered a bagel in the opening set. Ranked No. 52 at the Australian Open, she has shown signs of improvement since reuniting with coach Tommy Hill in April 2025. The pair previously collaborated from 2018 to 2019, during which Sakkari won titles in Rabat in 2019 and Guadalajara in 2023, and reached semifinals at Roland Garros and the US Open in 2021.
Sakkari has expressed optimism about her progress, noting last year, “I feel like I’m getting there with my game. I’m a lot happier than I was before. That’s the most important thing. Good things are going to come. I’m very positive about it.” She emphasized mental balance as key, adding, “I’m a perfectionist. I’m playing tennis to be a Top-10, Top-5 player.” This victory in Doha signals building momentum for her aim to return to the WTA top 10.