The problem is also recognized by DTB boss Barbara Rittner, who was “very, very proud” of German women’s tennis after the success of the two German players in an interview with t-online.
“There has only been an awareness of this topic for a few years,” complained the 49-year-old in an interview with t-online. Top players like Serena Williams would have it easier because they would “easily get a wild card” for Grand Slams. The WTA classifies pregnancies as injuries. The so-called “Protected Ranking”, which is intended to prevent the world rankings from slipping too far, applies either up to nine months after the first tournament participation or for the first nine tournaments played.
“When a player like Tatjana Maria has to struggle back in smaller tournaments, it makes it difficult for mothers to return to the tour,” said Rittner. Maria can now initiate a lot with her success. “With her interviews, she generates attention and possibly sets processes in motion that were not thought of in the past at the WTA.”
Maria in the fall, Niemeier at the beginning of her career
While Maria, at the age of 34, is already in the autumn of her career, Jule Niemeier is only at the beginning. In June, the native of Dortmund celebrated her first title on the WTA tour in Makarska, Croatia.
“Jule is getting better from week to week. She learns extremely quickly and is very happy with it,” coach Kas assesses his protégé. “She generally feels very comfortable on grass. If you had asked her before the tournament, she would have said sand was her favorite surface. But she also has a lot of skills that can be more valuable on grass than anywhere else.”
With her convincing second round victory (6:4, 6:0) over Anett Kontaveit, Niemeier drew attention to himself at the absolute top level in London. The fact that she made it into the quarter-finals on her debut at Wimbledon was a “positive surprise,” said Kas, who still has a lot of confidence in the 22-year-old. “Jule will be playing her best tennis in 12 to 18 months. Everything that happens until then is an experience in which she can learn. There is no pressure on her.”