15-month-old Cecilia explored the Wimbledon grounds with “Tante Ons” in hand, while eight-year-old Charlotte likes to hit a few balls with Ons Jabeur.
Tatjana Maria and her family with two daughters have a close relationship with the Tunisian world-class player – in the semi-finals of the classic grass pitch, of all places, the two meet for the biggest performance of their careers.
Maria: “We get along really well”
“We’ve known each other for ages, she loves the children,” said the mother of two, Maria, describing the relationship with the second in the world rankings, which is unusual in professional sport. “She almost sees my kids as her kids, so she’s actually part of our family. When she sees Charlotte, she plays tennis with Charlotte. When she sees Ceci, it’s her baby. We get along great.”
Actually, the story of Maria and her traveling family business would be fairytale enough: Less than a year after returning after the birth of her second daughter, the 34-year-old, who previously reached a maximum of the third round in a Grand Slam tournament, is like that good as never before. Her husband Charles-Edouard trains her, every morning in Wimbledon the eight-year-old Charlotte has tennis practice first, both daughters are in childcare during the tournament matches.
“I’m really happy for her that she’s getting what she deserves,” said the 27-year-old Jabeur of her good “barbecue friend” Maria. “She struggled a lot. It’s not easy to come back after having two babies. It’s going to be a great match between us, with a lot of respect.”