Wimbledon: Tatjana Maria delivers Cinderella history of the tournament with semi-final entry – Wilander and Co. enthusiastic

Mats Wilander was amazed, as the saying goes.

“Tatjana Maria as a mother of two at the age of 34 in the semi-finals of Wimbledon – for me that is the Cinderella story of this Wimbledon tournament,” said the seven-time Grand Slam tournament winner Exclusive interview with Eurosport.

There is no doubt that the Bad Saulgau native is finding more and more fans among tennis celebrities. “It’s super exciting,” said Kim Clijsters, who once won the US Open herself as a mother.

“Having one child is a challenge, having two children is crazy,” said the former Wimbledon finalist Agnieszka Radwanska at Eurosport. Maria’s successes are “impressive”.

Maria: “I’d rather not let go at all”

“I would have preferred not to let go of her,” said Maria on “Sky”, but the German Wimbledon surprises had to part ways.

Debutante Niemeier left the court and later the All England Club with her head held high. She had formed her hands into a heart.

Niemeier and Maria deliver 119 network attacks

It was a tennis match rarely seen these days. One of Maria’s great strengths is the outstanding slice, while the serve-and-volley game is one of Niemeier’s qualities.

“I have goosebumps everywhere, we made Germany proud,” said Maria: “It’s a dream to experience that with my family, with my two little girls.”

Husband Charles Edouard cheered in Maria’s box, the daughters Charlotte (8) and Cecilia (1) may have been little stars in childcare in the training park. Your mom in the semifinals of the most important tennis tournament in the world.

Nobody expected that.

Semi-final opponent Jabeur “part of the family”

Now Maria is fighting her good friend Ons Jabeur for a place in the final.

“She is part of our family, she loves my children,” said the Upper Swabian after her win against Niemeier.

Maria shows comeback qualities

In April 2021, Maria became a mother for the second time, and now she is celebrating the greatest success of her career so far. “Crazy” is this, the world number 103 was amazed. About yourself.

Maria is now the fifth German in the semifinals of Wimbledon. Steffi Graf had won the title seven times here, Angelique Kerber triumphed in 2018, Sabine Lisicki reached the final in 2013 and Julia Görges also made it to the semi-finals four years ago.

Maria: “I always believed in it”

So now Maria – and not Jule Niemeier, who was considered an easy favorite. And in the beginning it actually looked like she could continue her wondrous journey.

Maria’s dreaded slice, this disgusting undercut, which had previously driven her well-known opponents to despair, did not bounce off as sharply as usual – and although Niemeier served several double faults, Maria ran in vain after an early break in the first set.

Only with her second loss of service did she find her way into the encounter and turned a 0:1 deficit into a 4:1 lead. “I always believed that I could do it,” she said before the match: “It doesn’t matter how old you are or how many children you have. If you believe in yourself, you can do it.”

Maria did it.