Tatjana Maria’s tennis fairy tale continues – with the Wimbledon semi-final on Thursday against a good friend. Ons Jabeur is also the heroine of the Arab world.
Tatjana Maria is number 103 in the world rankings, has never gotten past the third round of Grand Slam tournaments and is in the late autumn of her career at the age of 34. She plays forehand and backhand mainly as a slice, which seems rather unfavorable on grass. And yet she is in the semi-finals of Wimbledon after her 4: 6, 6: 2, 7: 5 against compatriot Jule Niemeier.
So there are enough exciting starting points to talk about Maria’s improbable triumph. But the overarching theme is her motherhood: no game report without reference to her two daughters, no interview without asking about it. But Maria sees it positively. “I love talking about it. For me, the most important thing in my life is to be a mother of two.”
“Understand us really, really well”
So Maria quickly talks about her daughters (1 and 8 years old) when the sports show asks her about her semi-final opponent Ons Jabeur. “She’s part of our family, I’ve known her for ages. She loves kids in general and of course my kids too. Whenever she sees Charlotte, she always plays tennis with her. When she sees Cecilia, she’s like her little baby. With Ons we get along really, really well.”
Jabeur returned the compliments after beating Czech Marie Bouzkova 3-6, 6-1, 6-1 on Tuesday. “I love Tatjana so much, her family is great. She is my barbecue friend.” Semi-finalist and mother of two at the same time – “this is an amazing story”said Jabeur. She wished others would look up to Maria.
First the children, then the flight
Maria takes on the role of a champion for more support for mothers on the WTA Tour. “Because there are more and more mothers who come back and play tennis well”, she told the sports show. She urges that the rules should account for pregnancies differently than injuries. “It’s just not the same. When you’re pregnant, it’s just a completely different thing for your body.”
What distinguishes Maria from other, more prominent mothers such as Serena Williams or Viktoria Asarenka: She had her first child quite early at the age of 26 and now, 15 months after the birth of her second daughter, manages to play the best tennis of her career.
Jabeur: Pioneer in the Arab world
What Maria is to players who want to have children, Jabeur is to the Arab world – a role model, a pioneer. In 2011, the Tunisian won the junior competition at the French Open, becoming the first North African to compete in a Grand Slam tournament.
Tennis player Ons Jabeur waves to the audience
A WTA title followed in Birmingham in 2021 – the first for an Arab player. And most recently, in Madrid, she ensured the first victory by an African woman in a WTA tournament of the highest category.
Jabeur after Swiatek-Aus favorite
“She is a representative for Tunisia, for the Arab world, for all of Africa.” The Süddeutsche Zeitung quotes a Tunisian diplomat. At 27, Jabeur is in top form and, after losing world number one Iga Swiatek, is the favorite for the Wimbledon title. Her game is powerful and varied, which is a good basis for a duel with slice specialist Maria.
The semi-final duel will be very interesting from a sporting and emotional point of view. “It will be difficult to play against them”, says Jabeur, “she is a good friend.” One thing is already certain: one of the two remarkable success stories will be continued with the entry into the Wimbledon final.