Tennis player Maria Sakkari has had the support of her little sister, Amanda, continuously throughout the highs and lows of her career.
Now, Amanda opens up on what it’s like sitting in the front row of her sister’s matches.
“It’s very stressful when you see your relative suffering on the court,” she told WTA Tour. “It’s hard for me to witness that.”
Amanda is four years younger than Maria and is currently studying Media Management at The New School in Manhattan.
The sisters relish the time they have together, as Maria’s busy travel schedule means they aren’t always able to be near each other.
When they were younger, Maria was always travelling, but it wasn’t long before Amanda realised the importance of her sister’s work trips.
“It’s normal not to understand,” Amanda said. “After her winning more and more and seeing her on TV back home at 2 am, I realised that what she was doing was really big.”
These days, Amanda doesn’t miss a single match of Maria’s. She is always there to cheer her on and to help calm her nerves.
Amanda tries to relieve some of Maria’s stress by distracting her and pulling her out of the tennis world, even if it’s just for a while.
“I never talk about the tournament result, or tennis, or what time her practice is,” Amanda said.
“I’m more like, what are we going to eat, or this is what’s happening in my life, trying to get her mind away from tennis because that would reduce some pressure.”
Amanda attributes her decision to pursue a career in media to Maria’s successful tennis career. By shadowing her at events, Amanda hopes to find her path into the television industry.
“I’m really interested in film and TV and going into the production side of that,” Amanda said.
“In a way, my sister kind of helped me find my own path as well. We’re intertwined in that way.”
Source: wtatennis.
