Aryna Sabalenka chased Elena Rybakina for three sets, before winning a photo-finish tiebreaker in Madrid

The mom of two is competing at the Mutua Madrid Open, where she outlasted American Peyton Stearns in a final-set tiebreaker, while her eldest debuts at an under-12 event in Greece.

ByDavid Kane

Published Apr 23, 2024

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10-year-old Charlotte Maria will play her first tournament without her No. 1 fan in the stands as mother Tatjana is busy competing at an event of her own, having survived a 6-7 (4), 6-2, 7-6 (5) thriller with Peyton Stearns at the Mutua Madrid Open.

“She’s super excited to play,” the mom of two revealed to Prakash Amritraj in her visit to the Tennis Channel Live Desk. “She plays under-12 over there, with all the best little kids from around the world. It’s super special and she really enjoys it.”

Maria’s win over Stearns, her second-ever main-draw win at the Caja Magica, means she won’t be able to watch her play her first match—husband Charles-Edouard Maria is on hand to support their daughter—but she vowed to follow along on the infamous live scores.

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“I’m pretty nervous already, but she’s so excited,” said Maria, who used her all-court game and slice backhand to reach a career-high ranking of No. 42 earlier this season.

“She has a two-handed backhand,” Maria clarified. “She loves volleys and drop shots, and of course, she can play slice. It would be sad if she couldn’t!”

Maria’s next match will come against another of the Hologic WTA Tour’s most successful moms in Victoria Azarenka, who recived a bye into the second round.

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