Tatjana Maria, the tennis surprise: victory at the Queen's Club after 50 years!

Tatjana Maria, the tennis surprise: victory at the Queen's Club after 50 years!

What an impressive victory! Tatjana Maria won the HSBC Championships at the legendary Queen's Club in London on Sunday and made history. She was the first woman since 1973 to win this prestigious tournament, which had not been on the program for over five decades. Maria defeated American Amanda Anisimova 6-3, 6-4, capping a remarkable week of tournaments in which she knocked out four top-15 players in just five days — including Karolina Muchova, Elena Rybakina and Madison Keys, ranked among the best players in the world. This remarkable achievement not only showcased her skills on the pitch, but also her unwavering fighting spirit, especially as she had yet to qualify for the main draw.

Maria, 37, is now the oldest player to win a WTA 500 tournament — two months shy of her 38th birthday. Her latest success is also her first title in two years and helped her jump to number 43 in the WTA rankings ahead of Wimbledon. In an interview, she emphasized that her age is not an obstacle to winning major titles. “I feel good and know that I can still achieve a lot on the pitch,” she said. Her style of play, characterized by varying slice shots, presented her opponents with great challenges, which Anisimova herself noted.

A masterpiece on grass

In her final game, Maria demonstrated how important precise serves and strategic play are. She combined calm serves with short angles to put Anisimova under pressure. This tactic worked, as Anisimova briefly caught up in the first set, but quickly lost her rhythm again and was unable to hit back in the second set. “Maria’s style of play is a great fit for grass,” Anisimova noted. “She has a good knack for keeping the balls flat and avoiding height.” In a moment of tension, Maria finally served out the title with flying colors after Anisimova pulled back a break and was 0-30 in the deciding game.

Maria plans to prepare for Wimbledon. “I still have two tournaments ahead of me in Nottingham and Bad Homburg, which will help me to further improve my game,” she explained. Her younger daughter Cecilia slept peacefully in the stroller during the post-victory celebrations, while her older daughter Charlotte, 11, was always there to support her during her tournaments. A nice thought: Maria would even like to play doubles with Charlotte in the future.

A look into the history of women's tennis

Tatjana Maria's victory is not only a personal triumph, but also stands in the context of a long and important history of women's tennis. Since its beginnings in the 19th century, women's tennis has developed into a symbol of sporting competition and social progress. The WTA, founded in 1973, plays a crucial role in promoting equality in tennis. The history of women's tennis shows how complex and dynamic the sport has become over the decades - from its beginnings in exclusive clubs to the modern arenas where athletes like Maria can achieve great things today.

A look at past greats in tennis, such as Steffi Graf and Billie Jean King, illustrates how important it is to always promote equality in sport. And while women have made significant progress in tennis, the challenge of creating equal earning opportunities and reducing structural disadvantages remains. Maria shows that the fire for play doesn't have to go out as you get older.

As Tatjana Maria proves, there are always new stories to tell in tennis and the opportunity to make history every day. Her journey continues, and we can't wait to see what she builds next.