Maria Sakkari suggests the fact that Novak Djokovic gets criticized is the biggest proof that people will always have something negative to say about someone and that’s why simply accepting criticism as a regular part of their job is the way to go.

The Greek tennis star has a clean record when it comes to her behavior and on and off-court actions. But it is not a secret that she has still been one of the most criticized players in women’s tennis.

Over the last few years, Sakkari hasn’t had much Grand Slam success and she has had several early exits. Her critics love that use that as an argument against her. Also, the Greek – who achieved a career-high ranking of No. 3 in 2022 – heard or read many times about her doubters wondering how she made and stayed inside the top-10 for so long.

Sakkari: There are negative comments about Djokovic…

“You know, people are always going to say something. Like, even if I get back to top 5, they’re going to say, ‘Okay, yes, but she doesn’t have a Grand Slam.’ Or “She’s never made it past the semifinal of a Grand Slam. And even if you do win a Grand Slam, they’re going to say, ‘Yeah, but she [hasn’t won] a Grand Slam on grass court’ or something,” Sakkari told The Second Serve.

“You know this because you follow media all the time. If someone wants to say something, they’re always going to. Like, there’s negative comments about Djokovic. Like, what else does this guy have to prove? It’s just the world we live in right now. So we have to accept it, and just keep going.”

So far this year, Sakkari is just 7-12. This week, she entered Charleston ranked at No. 64 – and after losing to Zheng Qinwen in the second round – she will further drop in the rankings and exit the top-80.

However, it should be noted that the former world No. 3 ended her 2024 season after the US Open due to a shoulder injury and she is still working on returning to her usual level.