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Maria, who turns 38 in two months, is the oldest WTA Tour champion since Serena Williams won the Auckland title in 2020.
She has said she wants to continue until she has played doubles with eldest daughter Charlotte, who often hits with her on the practice court at tournaments.
A surprise Wimbledon semi-finalist in 2022, Maria has a game made for a grass court – but even she could not have thought her week would pan out like this.
She arrived in west London on a nine-match losing streak. She leaves as the champion, having moved from 86th to inside the world’s top 50 in the live rankings.
Her slice-heavy style of play, accurate serving and ability to disguise her drop shots have infuriated opponent after opponent, particularly big hitters Anisimova, Keys and Elena Rybakina.
Maria went an early break up in the first set, drawing errors out of the American, before a thumping backhand winner from Anisimova put it back on terms.
However, Maria kept Anisimova on the move, visibly frustrating her, and a netted forehand gave Maria the break back, before she served out the set with ease.
The numbers told the story, with Anisimova committing 10 unforced errors to Maria’s three in the opener, and the momentum stayed with the German as she broke at the first chance in the second set.
A mammoth fourth game saw seven deuces and Maria saving two break points for 3-1, before a brilliant scamper to a drop shot in the next allowed her to go a double break up.
Anisimova, who won the WTA 1,000 title in Qatar earlier this year, went for broke, pummelling her shots to rescue a break and keep in touch.
But Maria, backed by the packed crowd, kept her nerve to serve out to 30 and secure her place in Queen’s history.
