The first major upset on the women’s side of the 2023 U.S. Open is in the books.
Rebeka Masarova, ranked 71st, upset No. 8 Maria Sakkari, 6-4, 6-4, on Monday in Queens.
The shocking loss had Sakkari rethinking her immediate future.
“Maybe I should take a break, I’m suffering on the court,” she told Greek outlet SDNA. “I can’t make a decision now, it’s hard. I don’t have a clear mind.”
Masarova, a native of Spain, had been 0-4 against top-10 ranked players entering this match, according to wtatennis.com.
The 24-year-old pulled the upset in 87 minutes and entered the match with just a 24 percent chance of winning, according to the IBM Insights provided on the U.S. Open website.
Sakkari, a native of Greece, rushed out a 4-1 lead in the first set before Masarova rallied for five straight games to grab the set.
Masarova broke Sakkari midway through the second set to put Sakkari on the brink of elimination.
“I was nervous, but I started well. It’s not that I was tight, I don’t know what’s wrong with me.” Sakkari said. “I was up 4-1, I wasn’t playing great, but I did what I had to do. I continued to have anxiety, but it’s not like I lost my mind. I can not explain it. It’s very unpleasant for me.”
Sakkari managed to pull within 5-4, but Masarova tallied a backhand winner to advance to the second round.
Rebeka Masarova, of Spain, right, shakes hands with Maria Sakkari, of Greece, after winning their first-round match during the US Open. APSakkari had an error-plagued second set, according to the U.S. Open website’s recap, and finished with 18 unforced errors.
She had previously bested Masarova in three sets at WTA Madrid earlier this year, but Masarova managed to calm the storm after the initial flurry and rally for the big upset.
Masarova will next face 64th-ranked Anna Karolina Schmiedlova of Slovakia, who defeated No. 83 Kateryna Baindl, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 in three sets.
Rebeka Masarova of Spain returns a shot against Maria Sakkari of Greece during their Women’s Singles first-round match. Getty ImagesShe will not face a higher ranked player than Sakkari until potentially the quarterfinals, although a potential matchup with No. 10 Karolina Muchova looms.
Sakkari’s early exit continued a disappointing trend of early exits for the 28-year-old.
She has now been eliminated from Grand Slam events in the first round in eight of 31 main draw appearances per the U.S. Open website, including earlier this year at Wimbledon.
Maria Sakkari of Greece returns a shot against Rebeka Masarova of Spain during their Women’s Singles first-round match. Getty ImagesMarta Kostyuk of Ukraine ousted Sakkari, 0-6, 7-5, 6-2 in three sets.
This marked her ninth appearance at the U.S. Open and her best showing came in 2021 when she lost in the semifinals to eventual champion Emma Raducanu.
