In a momentous achievement at the Queen’s Club in London, German qualifier Tatjana Maria triumphed over American No. 8 seed Amanda Anisimova, securing her victory with a scoreline of 6-3, 6-4 on Sunday. This remarkable win made Maria the first female player to claim a title at Queen’s Club in over 50 years.
The title culminated a spectacular nine days for the world No. 86, who had previously upset second-seeded Madison Keys, the reigning champion of the Australian Open, in the earlier rounds. At 37 years old, Maria has now become the oldest competitor to win a WTA title since Serena Williams did so in Auckland in 2020.
Throughout the tournament, Maria demonstrated her prowess, dropping just a single set en route to the championship. Her impressive run included victories over top contenders such as the fourth-seeded Elena Rybakina from Kazakhstan and sixth-seeded Karolina Muchova from the Czech Republic.
This year’s Queen’s Club event marked a significant milestone, as it welcomed female players for the first time since 1973, when the Soviet Union’s Olga Morozova last secured the title. Maria’s performance against Anisimova showcased her strength, particularly in her serving. She established an early break in the first set, swiftly moving to a 4-1 lead while winning 12 consecutive points. Despite a brief resurgence from Anisimova, Maria comfortably secured the first set.
Match Highlights
Maria maintained her momentum in the second set, again racing to a 4-1 advantage. Her seventh ace propelled her to a 5-3 lead, and she ultimately served out the match just two games later, marking her first title win in over two years.
Expressing her joy post-match, Maria shared, “A dream come true. [When] I came here, I was never thinking I could hold the trophy at the end. When we arrived, my little girl said, ‘Wow, that’s a nice trophy, so big,’ and I said, ‘OK, let’s go for it. I will try to win it.’
“In the end, I’ve won it, it’s incredible. So happy. Everything is possible if you believe in it. You go your way, doesn’t matter which it is, but you have to keep going. I want to show this to my kids and hopefully they are proud. It’s amazing.”
As the match concluded, Maria raised her arms in victory as she watched Anisimova’s forehand sail wide on match point. Both players shared a moment of camaraderie at the net, where Anisimova remarked, “I wouldn’t be surprised if we see you in the Wimbledon final because you really had me running out there today.”
With this win, Maria is expected to rise to No. 43 in the upcoming WTA rankings released on Monday.
