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World No. 86 Tatjana Maria has been on a giant-killing run at this week's Queen's Club Championships. The German downed the in-form second seed Madison Keys in straight sets in the semifinals on Saturday (June 14) to reach her fourth WTA Tour final.
Maria had endured a rough patch before arriving at the 500-level event at Queen's Club, London, having dropped her last nine matches dating back to the Copa Colsanitas in late March. The 37-year-old has made plenty of amends since then, though.
Tatjana Maria had to qualify for the 2025 HSBC Championships as she didn't get a direct entry into the tournament due to her low ranking. Not to be deterred, the three-time WTA singles titlist made it to the main draw without dropping a set. She then beat the likes of second-seed Madison Keys, fourth-seed Elena Rybakina, and sixth-seed Karolina Muchova to reach only her fourth career final on the pro tour.
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During her on-court interview after her victory against Keys, Maria was asked about how she managed to hit a rich vein of form at Queen's Club. In response, the German maintained that her love for tennis ensured that she didn't give up despite her recent woes.
"You always have [to] keep going, you never stop, doesn't matter how it goes. I think I'm a really good example for this. I've had my ups and downs but you always have to keep going," Tatjana Maria said after reaching the Queen's Club final. "I love to play tennis, I love this sport. We live for this special moments and that's why also it's so amazing, I cannot realize this."
The 37-year-old will face eighth-seed Amanda Anisimova for the title at Queen's Club on Sunday (June 15).
Tatjana Maria on having her family supporting her at Queen's Club: "We live this dream together"
For those unaware, Tatjana Maria is a mother of two - Charlotte (11) and Cecilia (4). When asked during her on-court interview to spare a word for her family and her team, she couldn't help but rejoice at having her support circle around her during such a watershed moment for her career.
"To be here with my family, my team, it makes it so special that they're here and watching me, and we live this dream together. So it's really, really nice," she said.
Having turned pro in 2001, Maria enjoyed her career-high WTA singles ranking of 42 last January. Some of the highlights of her time on the women's pro circuit include reaching the semifinals of the 2022 Wimbledon, and winning three singles and four doubles titles (not including Challenger-level events).
