Tatjana Maria became the first woman in 52 years to win the Queen’s Club Championship title, after defeating 8th seed and World No. 15 Amanda Anisimova with a final scoreline of 6-3, 6-4.
This victory marks the biggest career title for the 37-year-old athlete. Maria, who is also a qualifier for the competition, became the oldest WTA 500 champion by winning against four top-20 players in a row.
With this, Maria expressed: “It means a lot to me, because actually, I’m 37 years old and I won this trophy today… In the past, people were always saying: ‘Oh, now maybe it’s time. You are too old. You are …’ Whatever reason they say sometimes. But actually, I’m a good example that even at my age you still can win big trophies.”
Coached by her husband, Charles-Édouard Maria, the athlete admitted: “I’m super proud of myself that I could win this tournament, because actually, I always believed in it, and my husband too. That’s also why we kept going, because there was always this belief that I can win big tournaments and that I can do great things on the court. I’m really, really proud of this.”
After her victory, Maria quickly ran to her player box to hug her husband and their two daughters: Charlotte (11), who also wants to be a tennis player, and Cecilia (4). Maria also remarked that one of her dreams is to play doubles professionally with her daughter, Charlotte.
“She will turn 12 at the end of the year, and you can start to play on tour when you’re 14… So I have a few more years to go, but it would really be my goal to do this, because I would love to play with her on the tour for doubles. She’s been on tour since she’s three months old, actually. It’s her dream. And if my body holds, if I really enjoy playing tennis, I would love to keep going and to play doubles with her.”
Maria’s tennis performance
Maria is known to be skilled on the grass surface, despite her recent struggles and her current ranking of No. 86. In 2022, she reached the Wimbledon semi-finals.
She is a player who does not rely on powerful shots, but rather uses clever and tricky shots to slow down her opponent and disrupt their rhythm on court. Maria uses slice shots on both her forehand and backhand, making it difficult for her opponents to hit. Moreover, she is also skilled at playing near the net with soft, precise touches.
In the final match against Amanda Anisimova, Maria made her look uneasy from the start. Known for powerful shots, Anisimova then committed many mistakes and couldn’t find her rhythm. Maria’s slicing kept Anisimova off balance, and it truly pushed her into tough positions. Maria also served well and defended strongly throughout the match.
With Maria’s playing style, Anisimova remarked: “Just not something you’re used to… I mean, most of my matches, I’m not getting a slice after every single ball. It’s definitely different, but everyone has their own way of playing. It’s just something you need to adjust and adapt to.”
In a social media post, Maria shared: “What can I say…… I am the Queen of Queen’s! ❤️”
Netizens expressed their support in the comments and stated: “Sooo happy for you 🥲 BRAVOO🥳🏆👊”, “So so good! Happy for you ❤️❤️❤️”, and “SUPER happy for you, Charles and your entire team that supported you until the last minute!!!!! CONGRATULATIONS Tatjana🎾🎾🎾🥇🥇🏆🏆🏆🏆!!!”