In a stunning upset at the WTA 500 Queen’s Club Championships in London, former Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina fell to German qualifier Tatjana Maria in the quarterfinals on Friday, June 13, 2025. The match, played on the pristine grass courts of the historic venue, ended with Maria claiming a 6-4, 7-6(4) victory, marking one of the biggest wins of her career and underscoring Rybakina’s turbulent 2025 season. The 37-year-old Maria, a former Wimbledon semifinalist, outmaneuvered the No. 4 seed with her crafty, slice-heavy game, leaving the Kazakh star frustrated and unable to find her rhythm.
Rybakina, ranked World No. 11, entered the tournament as a favorite, with her powerful serve and aggressive baseline play tailor-made for grass. Her recent title at the Internationaux de Strasbourg in May had signaled a return to form after a challenging year marked by injuries and coaching controversies. “I’m really happy with the week, with the way I played these matches,” Rybakina had said after her Strasbourg triumph, expressing optimism about her trajectory. Yet, against Maria, the 2022 Wimbledon champion struggled to adapt to the German’s unorthodox style, which relied on low, skidding slices that disrupted Rybakina’s timing. “Elena was really disturbed by Maria’s game and wasn’t efficient like yesterday,” noted a tennis observer, capturing the Kazakh’s struggles to counter the veteran’s tactics.
The first set saw Maria seize control early, breaking Rybakina at 3-3 with a deft passing shot. The German’s relentless slicing kept Rybakina off balance, forcing errors from the typically clinical Kazakh. Maria closed out the set 6-4, showcasing her grass-court prowess. “Tatjana Maria ends up upsetting Rybakina at Queen’s. One of the biggest wins of her career,” enthused a fan, highlighting the significance of the moment for the 86th-ranked qualifier. In the second set, Rybakina fought back, leveraging her booming serve to stay competitive. The set remained tight, with neither player yielding a break, leading to a tense tiebreak. Maria, however, held her nerve, using a forehand winner to secure a 4-1 lead in the breaker and finishing with an ace to seal the match. “I’m still here,” Maria declared on court, her voice filled with emotion. “And I’m living this dream with my family with me. It’s a perfect example to never give up and always keep going.”
For Maria, the victory was a testament to her resilience. Having defeated Canadian Leylah Fernandez and No. 6 seed Karolina Muchova earlier in the tournament, she now advances to her first WTA 500 semifinal, where she will face second seed Madison Keys. “She loves the grass,” remarked a commentator, noting Maria’s affinity for the surface, where her unique game thrives. The German’s journey, from qualifying rounds to toppling a Grand Slam champion, captivated the Queen’s Club crowd, who roared in approval as she celebrated her triumph.
Rybakina’s defeat adds to a string of disappointments in 2025. Despite her Strasbourg title and three WTA 500 crowns in 2024 (Brisbane, Abu Dhabi, and Stuttgart), her season has been plagued by inconsistency. A back injury forced her to miss the Asian swing, and she withdrew from the US Open after one match. Her coaching situation, including a brief stint with Goran Ivanisevic and the controversial return of Stefano Vukov, has also drawn scrutiny. “Elena just didn’t show the right attitude/respect to approach that,” observed a critic, suggesting Rybakina underestimated Maria’s challenge. The loss at Queen’s, where she reached the quarterfinals after defeating qualifier Heather Watson 6-4, 6-2, will see her lose valuable ranking points, further jeopardling her slide from the Top 10.
As Rybakina looks ahead to the Berlin Open, where she has no first-round bye, the pressure mounts to regain her form before Wimbledon. “Next Berlin (she has no bye),” noted a supporter, hopeful for a rebound. Meanwhile, Maria’s improbable run at Queen’s serves as a reminder of the unpredictability of grass-court tennis. Her victory over Rybakina, a match that “was one result away from being a Slam final a few years ago,” as one analyst put it, underscores the enduring magic of the sport, where veterans and qualifiers can still topple giants. The Queen’s Club Championships, hosting women’s tennis for the first time since 1973, continues to deliver drama, with Maria’s story now etched into its storied legacy.
Leave a Reply