German qualifier Tatjana Maria wins Queen’s Club final at age 37

LONDON (AP) – German qualifier Tatjana Maria proclaimed herself “Queen of Queen’s” after winning the Wimbledon warm-up tournament at the Queen’s Club for the biggest title of her career on Sunday.

The 37-year-old mother of two claimed her first WTA 500 title with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over eighth-seeded Amanda Anisimova in the grass-court final in London.

The 86th-ranked Maria won in front of her daughters Charlotte and Cecilia, and her husband and coach Charles-Edouard Maria.

“It means a lot to me,” Maria said. “I’m a good example that even in my age you still can win big trophies. I’m super proud of myself.”

On the way to her fourth WTA title, she eliminated four top 20 players, including Karolina Muchova, Elena Rybakina and Madison Keys, to become the oldest singles champion on the WTA Tour since 2020, when Serena Williams won the Auckland Classic at age 38.

Maria previously won WTA titles on grass at Mallorca in 2018, and triumphed twice on clay in Bogota in 2022 and 2023.

Maria, a former Wimbledon semifinalist, will jump to No. 43 in the world rankings on Monday.