 "Tatjana Maria with her husband Charles-Edouard Maria and daughters Charlotte and Cecilia after winning the Queen's Club Championships. Image: Reuters")
German qualifier Tatjana Maria, a mother of two daughters—the eldest being 11—has found renewed motivation to continue playing tennis at 37 after winning the Queen’s Club grass-court championship in London.
The world No. 86 Tatjana Maria had her husband and coach, Charles-Édouard Maria, and their two daughters in attendance as she defeated world No.13 Amanda Anisimova of the United States on Sunday to win her first WTA 500 title. She is also the oldest to do so.
“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,” she said after her title win.
“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,” Maria, who is coached by her husband, added.
Tatjana Maria eyes playing doubles with daughter Charlotte
Creating history is no mean feat, and doing so at 37 proves that Maria has a different kind of belief in her abilities. The victory in London has made her more hungry and she now wishes to continue playing so that one day she can partner her eldest daughter, Charlotte, in the doubles.
“I mean, she will turn 12 [at the] end of the year, and you can start to play on tour when you’re 14,” Maria shared. “So I have a few more years to go, but it would be really my goal to do this, because I would love to play with her on the tour [in] doubles.
“I mean, she’s on tour since she’s three months old, actually. It’s her dream. And if my body holds, if I really enjoy to play tennis, I would love to keep going and to play the doubles with her.”
Until recently, Tatjana Maria’s husband and coach, Charles-Edouard, was also guiding their daughter Charlotte on the court. But now, the 11-year-old has her own dedicated coach, though she still shares a physio and fitness trainer—Guillaume—with her mother.
While the family occasionally gets help with travel during tournaments, they mostly manage the tour on their own. Their focus now is on Charlotte’s steady progress, with hopes that she might one day emulate Coco Gauff, who made headlines by breaking through at just 15.