Greek tennis star Maria Sakkari recently expressed her disappointment over the Federation’s decision to exclude her from being a flag bearer at the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. The 29-year-old athlete revealed that her relationship led to the reversal of what she described as a career highlight.
“I’m a very proud Greek woman, and my biggest dream growing up was to be a flag bearer for my country,” Sakkari said. “When they called and told me I’d be alongside Giannis [Antetokounmpo], I thought it was the greatest moment of my career. But then everything fell apart because of my relationship, for political reasons. It hurt me deeply—every athlete deserves that honor.”