Sakkari beats Kostyuk 4-6, 6-2, 6-2 to reach Wuhan Open third round
Synopsis
Nine years after a qualifier run in Wuhan cracked the world top 50 for the first time, Maria Sakkari is back at the same venue — and winning again. Her 4-6, 6-2, 6-2 comeback over Marta Kostyuk was equal parts nostalgia and nerve, with the Greek deliberately channelling more bravery in big moments after a week of missed opportunities in Beijing.
Key Takeaways
Maria Sakkari defeated eighth seed Marta Kostyuk 4-6, 6-2, 6-2 on 14 October at the Dongfeng Voyah Wuhan Open .
Sakkari became the first player to reach the third round at this year's Wuhan Open.
It was her first singles match at the Wuhan venue since 2018 — a gap of eight years .
She had last broken into the WTA Tour 1000 quarterfinals at Doha in February 2026 .
Her next match is against wild card Mia Pohankova on Thursday for a place in the quarterfinals.
Sakkari's original 2017 Wuhan run — when she beat Wozniacki , Vesnina , and Cornet as a qualifier ranked No.
80 — was the catalyst for her top-50 breakthrough.
Maria Sakkari turned back the clock at the Dongfeng Voyah Wuhan Open on Tuesday, 14 October, recovering from a set down to defeat eighth seed Marta Kostyuk 4-6, 6-2, 6-2 and advance to the third round. The win made Sakkari the first player to secure a spot in the last 16 at this year's tournament and rekindled memories of the breakthrough that launched her career nearly a decade ago.
A Venue That Changed Everything
Wuhan carries a singular emotional weight for the 30-year-old Greek. In 2017, as a qualifier ranked World No. 80, she strung together victories over Caroline Wozniacki, Elena Vesnina, and Alize Cornet — cracking the world's top 50 for the first time. Tuesday's match was her first singles appearance at the venue in eight years, having last contested a singles match there in 2018 before returning only for doubles in 2025.
'That's when I cracked the top 50 for the first time. It is a special place in my heart because I had my first big wins against Wozniacki, Vesnina, Cornet back in the day,' Sakkari said. 'It feels like it was a century ago. Sometimes I look in pictures — nowadays, I feel very young, but back then I was even younger... It's been almost 10 years since that run, and I'm still producing some very good tennis.'
How the Match Unfolded
Sakkari had opened her 2026 Wuhan campaign with a straightforward victory over Donna Vekic before Tuesday's sterner test against Kostyuk. The eighth seed took the opening set 6-4, but Sakkari reasserted control in the second and third sets, dropping just four games across both to seal the contest. The turnaround was a deliberate response to a frustrating week in Beijing, where she felt she had lacked the nerve to convert break-point opportunities against Elina Svitolina.
'Last week against Svitolina, I think that I was playing good. I was just not brave enough to take those break points,' Sakkari said. 'All I'm thinking is I have the chance to try and do something different than last week. The base of my game is there. It's just that I need to try to be a little bit more brave in the big moments.'
What Is at Stake
The victory sets up a third-round encounter on Thursday against wild card Mia Pohankova. A win there would take Sakkari into the quarterfinals — her first WTA Tour 1000 last-eight appearance since Doha in February, and her first quarterfinal at any tournament since Athens earlier this summer. With the season nearing its conclusion, a deep run in Wuhan could provide a timely boost to her ranking and momentum.
Maturity vs. Fearlessness
Reflecting on how her mindset has evolved since her 2017 run, Sakkari offered a candid assessment of the trade-off between experience and instinct. 'Back then, I was just a little bit fearless, and I didn't really think about too much. The more you grow up, the more you think about other things,' she noted. Her challenge now, as she acknowledged, is to marry that accumulated maturity with the competitive bravery that defined her earliest breakthroughs on the WTA Tour.
Point of View
At a stage of the season when rankings points are tightly contested and nerves run high. A quarterfinal here would be more than sentimental — it would be a genuine signal that she remains a factor in the tour's top tier.
NationPress
14 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What was the result of Sakkari vs Kostyuk at the Wuhan Open 2026?
Maria Sakkari defeated eighth seed Marta Kostyuk 4-6, 6-2, 6-2 on Tuesday, 14 October, to reach the third round of the Dongfeng Voyah Wuhan Open. Sakkari recovered from losing the first set to win the next two convincingly.
Who does Sakkari play next at the Wuhan Open?
Sakkari faces wild card Mia Pohankova on Thursday for a place in the quarterfinals. A win would mark her first WTA Tour 1000 last-eight appearance since Doha in February 2026.
Why is Wuhan significant in Maria Sakkari's career?
Wuhan was the site of Sakkari's breakthrough run in 2017, when she entered as a qualifier ranked World No. 80 and beat Caroline Wozniacki, Elena Vesnina, and Alize Cornet in succession. That run helped her crack the world's top 50 for the first time.
How long had it been since Sakkari played a singles match in Wuhan?
Tuesday's win over Kostyuk was Sakkari's first singles match at the Wuhan venue since 2018 — a gap of eight years. She had returned to Wuhan for doubles competition in 2025 but had not played singles there until this week.
What did Sakkari say about her mental approach in Wuhan?
Sakkari said she was focused on being 'a little bit more brave in the big moments' after feeling she failed to capitalise on break-point chances against Svitolina in Beijing the previous week. She also reflected on how her earlier fearlessness as a young player had given way to greater experience but also more caution.
