Former World No.1 Angelique Kerber has announced that the Paris Olympics will be her final professional tournament. The 36-year-old has been struggling with form and injuries for the last couple of years. This was not unexpected as her comeback from pregnancy break this year hasn’t been what she would have hoped for. Of the 11 tournaments she played this year, eight were first-round exits. She showed glimpses of her former self here and there, but for the most part, she was not competitive, thus unable to build up her ranking.
Her game style has always been very physical and heavily built around fitness and immense core and leg strength. Unfortunately, she lost a lot of that once she took time off and one can see her musculature has declined. Kerber has been a great champion and fighter on the court and the Olympics are a good way to end her career.
A Journey of Grit and Glory
Angelique Kerber has been iconic for the last 12 years. She has given some of the most spectacular, memorable, and hard-fought matches of this generation. She has been the most successful German women’s tennis player since Steffi Graf. Kerber won three Grand Slams, 14 WTA titles and a Silver Medal at the Olympics in her illustrious career.
2012 was the breakthrough year for Kerber where she won 60 matches, won two WTA titles and made her Top 10 debut. Kerber was always a fighter on the court and never gave up. Seeing her improve year in and out until she reached the pinnacle of the sport at such a late age and captured three different Slams in her late 20s and early 30s when not many were expecting it. Her accomplishments ended up being spectacular despite the slow start. She is one of the very few to beat Serena Williams in two Grand Slam finals.
It’s always sad to see a great player, with both a great personality and a great game, retire. Her fighting spirit will be dearly missed and hopefully, she will have a good run at the Olympics.
Main Photo Credit: Taya Gray-Desert Sun/USAToday Sports
