Only two more wins until the sensational title: Tatjana Maria is in the semi-finals of Wimbledon before the biggest game of her career so far.
On Thursday (2.30 p.m. CEST), the 34-year-old will meet Ons Jabeur from Tunisia, second in the world rankings, and could become the sixth German tennis player to reach the final of the classic lawn. The opponent is no ordinary competitor for the mother of two. The most important things about the game at a glance:
initial position
Prior to the start of the tournament, Maria had never survived the third round of a Grand Slam. “I gave birth to my second daughter (Cecilia) a little over a year ago. If someone had told me back then that I would be in a Wimbledon semi-final a year later, I would have said it was crazy,” Maria said before the game about her own story.
the opponent
The 27-year-old Jabeur is not only the first Arab tennis pro in a Grand Slam semi-final. The Tunisian is also one of the Maria family’s best friends on the pro tour. “I love Charlotte, she’s so nice,” Jabeur said of her opponent’s eight-year-old daughter. “She plays tennis, it’s really wonderful to see her. The little one is always smiling, she has great energy. I just love the family as a whole.”
The seat
For the first time at this tournament, Maria will serve on Center Court. She has no good memories of two duels in the largest Wimbledon stadium: in 2019 she lost to the then defending champion Angelique Kerber in the first round, the year before it was over against the French Kristina Mladenovic. “Hopefully it will work out the third time,” said Maria.