Queen's queen Tatjana Maria eyes Wimbledon: 'You just have to believe'

Promising your young kid a big shiny thing that's just caught their eye can be fraught with difficulty at the best of times but when it's the trophy due to be presented at the end of the prestigious pre-Wimbledon tennis tournament, The Queen's Club Championships, that's a whole other, well ball game, if you will.

But this is the situation in which veteran tennis player Tatjana Maria found herself after qualifying for the quintessential week-long southwest London tournament just four miles down the road from its more famous neighbour where the German is set to take on Katie Volynets of the US in the first round of the women's tournament on Tuesday (1 July).

"When we arrived (at Queen's), my little daughter said, 'That's a nice trophy, it's so big'," revealed Maria of four-year-old Cecilia‍. "And I said, 'Yeah, let's go for the trophy. I will try to win it'."

This was confident talk from someone who, prior to winning the two qualifying matches to even make it to Queen's tournament proper, had lost nine consecutive matches.

Ranked 86 prior to Queen's, the Paris 2024 Olympian would go on to beat World No 30, Leylah Fernandez (CAN), Karolina Muchova (CZE, 14), the 2022 Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina (KAZ, 11), and two Americans, Madison Keys, the reigning Australian Open champion (8) and Amanda Anisimova (15), respectively on her way to her fourth singles title on the WTA Tour.

After besting Anisimova 6-3, 6-4 at the Andy Murray Arena, the 37-year-old threw her racquet in the air in a 'job done' manner, before quickly heading courtside to her family.

First hugging coach and husband of 13 years, Charles-Edouard Maria, she then turned to older daughter and keen player herself, Charlotte, 11, for further hugs, before tipping over the barrier enough to peer in the pram of a sleepy Cecilia‍.

"Today, I just want to say THANK YOU MY LOVE!" posted Maria afterwards on what was Father's Day in the UK. "For standing beside me, for lifting me up, for sharing this journey with me and our two beautiful daughters. This win is ours. I have the best coach."

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