Tatjana Maria has never stopped believing! Now she is just three victories away from becoming the first tennis mom since the great Evonne Goolagong Cawley in 1980 to win the Wimbledon Championships.
The German woman saved two match points on Sunday, July 3, to continue her giant-killing run through the ladies' singles draw and reach her maiden Grand Slam quarterfinal at 34, according to ABC.
The world no. 103 recorded a huge upset in the round of 16, defeating 12th seed Jelena Ostapenko, 5-7, 7-5, 7-5, to add the 2017 French Open champion to her growing list of scalps during this remarkable Wimbledon campaign.
Tennis mom Maria moves to within 3 wins of Wimbledon title
Mother of two Maria, the oldest woman left in the Wimbledon draw, had already eliminated Australian qualifier Astra Sharma and Greek fifth seed Maria Sakkari. It was a historic feat for Maria, who made the second week at a major for the first time in 35 attempts.
Maria looked like she was headed for the exit, facing two match points at 4-5 in the second set. She saved both before running down Ostapenko, sealing the three-set win in two hours and eight minutes, according to Tennis.com.
Maria's previous best Grand Slam result came with a third-round appearance at Wimbledon in 2015. She will next play German compatriot Julie Niemeier on Tuesday, July 5, for a most unlikely place in the semifinals.
Maria, who had her first daughter in 2013 and then a second girl last April, said there is always the belief that she can do it. She said that is why she came back after the first child and also returned after the second one.
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Maria pays tribute to husband as she targets Wimbledon crown
Maria added that she would not be at the Wimbledon if she did not believe she could do those things. She revealed that there is always this belief to keep going and improving and trying her best at the end, and now she is in the quarterfinal of Wimbledon.
If Maria goes on and captures the Venus Rosewater Dish on Saturday, she will have achieved a feat that not even the great Serena Williams has managed in her illustrious tennis career. Williams, who is still chasing a record-equaling 24th Grand Slam crown, lost the 2018 and 2019 Wimbledon ladies' singles finals after having daughter Alexis Olympia back in 2017.
Women's Tennis Association (WTA) reported that Maria attributes her recent success to her husband and former ATP player Charles-Edouard. Not only does his belief in Maria's abilities spur the tennis star on, but he also takes on the lion's share of childcare as their family travel the world together, and she embarks on her sports career. Maria said her husband is amazing, and he is the one who believes in her one million percent.
