Food Court: From guilty pleasures to Greek delicacies – Stefanos Tsitsipas and Maria Sakkari let yourself be pampered! | ATP Tour

Food court

Food Court: From guilty pleasures to Greek delicacies – Tsitsipas and Sakkari are in for a treat!

The stars of Team Greece reveal everything about food ahead of the United Cup season

December 27, 2024

Stefanos Tsitsipas and Maria Sakkari will be aiming for a fast start to their 2025 season when they lead Team Greece into battle in the United Cup on Saturday.

The exciting duo led their country to the semi-finals in 2023 and are hungry for more this time. But their hunger is not just for Greece’s success on the pitch. Ahead of their opener against Spain on Saturday, ATPTour.com caught up with Tsitsipas and Sakkari to talk all things food.

A Christmas down under with Team Greece 🎄 🇬🇷 #UnitedCup pic.twitter.com/d6vTHo2Clu

— United Cup (@UnitedCupTennis) December 25, 2024

Stefanos, let’s say Maria is coming over for dinner tonight. What are you cooking for her and why?
Tsitsipas: “Something Christmassy, ​​right? I would like to prepare turkey with fried potatoes and vegetables because I love eating it. Then I’d probably have a nice Greek salad.”
“Of course! “We have to have a Greek salad on the table,” demands Sakkari.

Maria, what would Stefanos cook?
Sakkari: “To start I would make Tiropita (Greek cheese pie), of course a Greek salad and Kokkinisto as the main course. Kokkinisto is beef cooked for hours in tomato sauce.”
“It’s so soft, I can’t wait to go to Greece!” Tsitsipas replies, struggling to contain his excitement.

How would you rate your cooking skills?
Sakkari: “I’m not great, but I’m fine. I’m trying my best!”
Tsitsipas: “It’s one of those things I’ve started doing recently and I’ve even bought cookbooks to get better at when I have time. I don’t know when I’ll have time in the next few years, but I’m really excited.”

Do you have any guilty pleasures?
Sakkari: “I do, quite often. I really like souvlaki, but I also really like my burgers. These are my top 2.
Tsitsipas: “I would say, Revani, this is my big pleasure, but I don’t eat it every day. It’s like a sweet cake, a typical Greek dessert.”

What do you usually eat the night before a game?
Sakkari: “Protein with rice, potatoes and vegetables. Pretty boring, nothing spectacular.”

What is the biggest misconception about a tennis player’s diet?
Tsitsipas: “That everyone eats like Novak Djokovic!” That’s a big misunderstanding.”
Sakkari: “I would agree, yes.”

Stefanos Tsitsipas, Maria Sakkari ” style=”width:100%;” src=”https://www.atptour.com/-/media/images/news/2024/12/27/11/34/tsitsipas-sakkari- perth-2025-friday.jpg”>_{^{Stefanos Tsitsipas and Maria Sakkari at the 2025 United Cup in Perth. Photo: TENNIS AUSTRALIA.}}

To keep with the theme of the United Cup, ATPTour.com had Tsitsipas and Sakkari work together and create a list of 10 Greek dishes in order of preference, but they didn’t know which one came next!

Loukoumades? (Crispy dough balls covered in syrup)
7
Spanakopita? (Savory spinach pie)
“Top 4 for sure, but where?” asks Sakkari. 3.
Fasolada? (Bean and tomato soup)
“Ooooh,” shouts Tsitsipas. 6
Souvlaki? (Grilled meat on a skewer)
“That’s top 2, the signature!” says Tsitsipas.
“We have to go with 1!” demands Sakkari.
Dolmadakia? (Vegetable leaves rolled around meat and grains)
8
Saganaki? (Fried cheese)
4
Moussaka? (aubergine or potato based lasagne)
“2. “It’s very simple.” They agree.
Tzatziki? (cucumber yogurt sauce)
5
Kleftiko? (Slow Roasted Lamb)
10
Pastitsio? (Pasta casserole with beef)
“NO! I forgot Pastitsio. You left the best food until last!” says Sakkari disappointedly. “We have to go in 9.”