Maria Sakkari's experience and higher level make her the clear favorite against Polina Kudermetova in Athens.
Sakkari Looks To Avoid Another Slip
- Kudermetova holds a 2–2 record in tour-level opening-round matches in 2026.
- She is currently on an 11-match losing streak against Top 50 players.
- Sakkari has a 6–7 record in opening-round matches in 2026.
- She has lost five of her last six matches against players outside the Top 100.
HTH
This will be their first meeting.
Russian Seeks Return to Form
Polina Kudermetova won five of her seven grass-court matches this season, but all of those victories came in qualifying. She suffered first-round exits at Queen's Club and Wimbledon before another opening-round loss at the WTA 125 Contrexeville event.
The Uzbek started the season by reaching the Canberra WTA 125 final but struggled to build on that result in the following months. During the clay swing, however, she reached four WTA 125 quarterfinals or better, moving closer to a return to the top 100.
Kudermetova has played four tour-level events this season and cleared the opening-round hurdle in two of them, although she has lost her last two opening-round matches.
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Country | Uzbekistan |
| Age | 23 (Born 4 June 2003) |
| Plays | Right-handed |
| World Ranking | 109 |
| Career High | 54 (14 April 2025) |
| Elo Ranking | 91 (Rating: 1727) |
| Tour-Level Titles | 0 |
Sakkari Eyes Strong Home Start
Maria Sakkari is coming off an encouraging Wimbledon campaign, where she reached the third round before losing to Jasmine Paolini. The result was a positive response after opening-round defeats at Queen's Club and Nottingham.
The Greek has struggled for consistency this season, playing 13 tour-level events and recording multiple main-draw wins in only three of them. Her best results include the Doha semifinals and third-round appearances at Roland Garros and Wimbledon.
This is the inaugural edition of the tournament in Athens, and Sakkari will be hoping to make the most of home support and familiar conditions to begin her campaign strongly.
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Country | Greece |
| Age | 30 (Born 25 July 1995) |
| Plays | Right-handed |
| World Ranking | 37 |
| Career High | 3 (21 March 2022) |
| Elo Ranking | 47 (Rating: 1812) |
| Tour-Level Titles | 2 |