World No. 52 Tatjana Maria was required to compete in qualifying at this week’s HSBC Championships despite entering as the defending champion. The 38-year-old mother of two voiced her disappointment with the tournament’s decision to award wildcards to four lower-ranked British players rather than granting one to her as the reigning titleholder.
Last year, Maria defeated four Top 20 players in a row to claim her first WTA 500 title at Queen’s Club. Despite that achievement, this year’s HSBC Championships, led by tournament director Laura Robson, did not award her a wildcard into the main draw. The German expressed clear disappointment, saying she felt disrespected by the decision.
“Already what I did last year was amazing and to be a champion here, I thought I deserved a wildcard and to get a little bit of respect,” Maria told BBC Sport. “I was surprised when I got the message of Laura Robson saying all the wildcards would go to the British players, which I understand. But as a champion, it’s tough for me.”
Nevertheless, Maria battled through qualifying, winning two matches on Sunday to secure her place in the main draw. She will now face Maria Sakkari in the first round on Monday.
Maria is ranked higher than all of the wildcard recipients, but the Lawn Tennis Association maintains a policy of prioritising home players “for the benefit of the British game as a whole.” As a result, the wildcard entries were awarded to Katie Boulter (No. 73), Fran Jones (No. 98), Harriet Dart (No. 160), and Mika Stojsavljevic (No. 261).
