CHISINAU, May 29, 2026
Stefanos Sakellaridis has quietly become one of the rising names on the ATP Challenger Tour. The 21-year-old from Athens arrived at the Moldova Open in Chisinau at a career-high ranking of World No. 197 after an impressive start to the 2026 season, highlighted by his maiden Challenger title in New Delhi this February following three previous titles on the ITF World Tennis Tour in 2025.
Now competing at the brand new National Tennis Center in Chisinau, the Greek continues his strong run this week and will face India’s Sumit Nagal in Friday’s quarterfinals. Ahead of the match, we spoke with Sakellaridis about the windy conditions in Moldova, his progress on tour, training at the Piatti Tennis Academy, and the current growth of tennis in Greece.
Tennis TourTalk: How was it on court today?
Stefanos Sakellaridis: The wind is very unpredictable here. Everything is new, but it is a nice complex with great potential for Moldovan tennis. They want to grow a lot here. They have done a good job.
Is it your first time here?
Yes, it is. I went to the city centre and it is very beautiful. I am happy to be here.
You are currently sitting at a career-high ranking. Would you agree that you are playing the best tennis of your career so far?
It has been good work over the last couple of years. I have been working on my game and it has started to pay off. But there is still a long way ahead, and I hope that I can keep going and stay hungry for more. I would really like to continue moving up the rankings and playing bigger events.
Can you tell us a bit about your practice situation? Where are you based?
I am based at the Piatti Tennis Academy in Bordighera. It is a great experience there, especially with Riccardo Piatti, who has worked with so many top players. He is helping me a lot.
How would you describe your playing style?
I believe a lot in my game. I can do many different things on the court. I can create a lot of opportunities and be dangerous during matches. But there is still a lot of work to do. I need to bring more spin into my shots, be more aggressive and also become more consistent on my serve. There is still a bit of fine-tuning to do, and then we will see what I can achieve in the future.
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Earlier this season, you won your first ATP Challenger Tour title. How was that experience?
That was great. It was unexpected because I did not feel great about my game before the tournament. The day before it started, I changed my racket and it clicked from the very first ball. I also had a good feeling during my first match. I managed to keep the momentum throughout the whole tournament. The support was also great and eventually winning the title was amazing, especially after coming back from 5-2 down in the final. It was very dramatic but created amazing memories for me.
There is a lot happening in Greek tennis right now, with new tournaments being added. How would you describe the current situation in your home country?
Tennis in Greece has grown a lot, especially over the last few years. We had the success of Tsitsipas and Sakkari, which led to more people playing tennis. The sport is growing. New players and tournaments are emerging. It is nice to see this development.
Thank you.
Interview: Florian Heer
