<p>The German, then 37, won the title ‌last year when the women's tour returned to the venue after a 52-year ‌absence. She was the oldest winner of a WTA 500 ‌tournament.</p><p>But she had to come through the qualifying tournament this year ‌after not receiving one of the four wildcards, all of ‌which were handed to lower-ranked British players.</p><p>"<strong>It feels almost like a normal tournament because I had to start over again in qualifying</strong>," Maria, who ‌was made an honorary life member at the ⁠London club after her ‌title run last year, told BBC Sport.</p><p>"<strong>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</strong>."</p><p>Wildcards, awarded at organisers' discretion to players whose ranking does not merit main-draw entry, are often reserved for ⁠home players.</p><p>"<strong>I did it ​last year. It was not five years ago</strong>," said the world number 52, who is facing Greece's Maria Sakkari in the first round on Tuesday.</p><p>"<strong>I was surprised when I got the message of (tournament ‌director) Laura Robson saying all the wildcards would go to the British players, which I understand. But as a champion, it's tough for me. It is something that should be normal. If you are champion of an event and you don't get in the year after, I think automatically this should be considered</strong>."</p><p>The wildcards went to Katie Boulter (ranked 73rd), Fran Jones (98th), Harriet Dart (160th), and Mika Stojsavljevic (261st).</p><p>A spokesperson for the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) said: "The ‌LTA owns and invests in staging these events for the ​benefit of the British game as a whole -- so fans ‌can see world-class international players from around the world, and support our British players, but also so British players are afforded the playing opportunities to progress their careers and climb the rankings.</p><p>"We have seen British success at these ⁠events, and breakthrough wins, so ⁠there is clear value ‌in giving British players these development opportunities."</p>