Haddad Maia follows in Kuerten’s Parisian footsteps
No one had her in mind, now the 27-year-old challenges Iga Swiatek in the semifinals of the French Open. She had to put up with a lot, including a doping ban, and she grew from that.
Incredulous amazement: Beatriz Haddad Maia herself can hardly believe that she has beaten Ons Jabeur.
Photo: Yoan Valat (EPA)
In 1997, a 20-year-old Brazilian enchanted Roland Garros out of nowhere. World number 66, Gustavo Kuerten stormed to his first professional title on the biggest stage. Samba drums sounded in the Court Central and the green and yellow flags were waved. In the final, Kuerten outclassed the clearly favored Spaniard Sergi Bruguera in three sets, after having previously struggled from round to round. Again and again he freed himself from tricky situations. And with a smile on your face.
26 years later, his compatriot Beatriz Haddad Maia does the same. Although she is already world number 12, she had never made it past the second round in eleven attempts at Grand Slam tournaments. Now she, at 1.85 meters one of the tallest on the women’s tour, is climbing new heights. In her first appearance on the huge Philippe Chatrier Court, she defeated Tunisian Ons Jabeur (WTA 7) 3:6, 7:6, 6:1 and advanced to the semi-finals, where she challenges world number 1 Iga Swiatek.
She came to Roland Garros with the intention of reaching the third round, she said with a smile. “I wanted to set myself a realistic goal. When I achieved that, I said to myself: Okay, now I’ll make a new one.” Again and again Haddad Maia freed himself from tricky situations in Paris. In round 3 she fended off a match point against the Russian Ekaterina Alexandrowa. In the round of 16 she was behind the Spaniard Sara Torribes Tormo 6:7, 0:3. Against Jabeur she had to fend off two breakballs at 3: 6, 5: 5.
“For me, fun means fighting at 4: 4 in the third set.”
She loves these tight moments, she said recently in an interview with the tennis online magazine “Clay”: “For me, it’s fun to fight at 4: 4 in the third set.” And she’s doing that with increasing success. Swiss women like the 22-year-old can also go their own way Simona Waltert Encouragement that took her time to establish herself on the WTA tour. Haddad Maia is now living up to her potential at 27.
This is also due to the fact that she was repeatedly slowed down by injuries and had to endure four operations. Her back in particular bothered her. “I had to take six or seven breaks for several months,” she says. There was also a positive doping test for anabolic steroids in July 2019, after which she was banned for ten months. She defended herself at the time by consuming contaminated dietary supplements.
Role model and Brazilian tennis legend: Maria Bueno has won seven Grand Slam titles. Here Wimbledon 1959.
Photo: AP Photo
Tennis champions from Brazil are rare. The support from the association is meager, the big tournaments are far away. “I’m only here thanks to many victims,” says Haddad Maia. “We only have one WTA tournament in Brazil, all the others are at least a six-hour flight away for me. It’s much easier for players from Europe.” She draws inspiration from Guga Kuerten’s career, who won the French Open three times (1997, 2000, 2001) and even became number 1. And from Maria Bueno, who, like her, came from São Paulo and celebrated seven Grand Slam titles in singles from 1959 to 1966.
Bueno died of cancer in 2018 at the age of 78, but Haddad Maia was lucky enough to meet her once at Wimbledon and take a picture with her. “She lived in a different era when women were still severely disadvantaged. They played mostly for the love of the sport, not getting the money or fame they have today.” Aware of history, Haddad Maia appreciates even more what she has these days.
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2023-06-07 17:39:47
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