What does Angelique Kerber's amazing career leave us?

07/27/2024 04:30 AM

The Paris Olympics will mark the farewell day of a generation of tennis phenomena: Andy Murray will leave tennis after the Olympic tournament as will Angelique Kerber. Without considering that this will also be the last Olympics for Rafael Nadal and - most likely - for Novak Djokovic.

What does Kerber's career leave us, beyond the three Slam titles (Australian Open and US Open in 2016, Wimbledon in the 2018 edition), the silver at the Rio de Janeiro games and the number 1 in the WTA ranking achieved in that magical 2016 and defended for 34 weeks?

These are the main results achieved by the German, who announced that she will leave tennis at the end of the Paris Olympics, but beyond the results I see much more. I see the ability of a tennis player to improve over time, with patience. I see a girl who has been able to rise with pride from moments of difficulty and fierce (and unfair) criticism. I see a mother who, after having given and received so much from tennis, wants to enjoy her family and life.

Angie has maximized the opportunities that tennis life has given her. The unexpected triumph at the 2016 Australian Open seemed like a career prize. The confirmation that came at the US Open against Karolina Pliskova this season, however, gave something more: no, the victory in Melbourne against Serena Williams could not have been just a coincidence. Then in 2017 she went through a moment of crisis, receiving harsh criticism.

Here is her tennis legacy: rising from criticism and an abyss of poor results, which led her to win Wimbledon 2018, again against Serena Williams.

Angie during the opening ceremony #Paris2024pic.twitter.com/vvOFlm1aE9

— Angelique Kerber FC (@AngieKerberFC) July 27, 2024

The German player made a painful decision regarding her retirement: "I feel good about the decision to retire after the Games. Of course, it's one of the hardest decisions I've made, but now I'll try to enjoy this experience as much as possible. I'm very proud to be part of the team, I really want to give my best."

The 36-year-old, who became a mother last year with Liana, attended the draw ceremony held on Thursday: "It's a very difficult match against Naomi Osaka in the first round.

I think it will be a nice and interesting challenge. I've prepared myself as best I can, I really want to play against her. The same goes for doubles, even though I'm not an athlete who plays a lot, but I have a good doubles partner in Laura Siegemund. Let's see how far we can go," she said.

The German has a lasting memory of that Argentine in Rio: "When I was little, I always dreamed of winning a medal. When I won it, it was definitely a dream come true. Coming back with a medal is nice, it's something that will stay in my career forever. I will always be able to say that I won a medal for my country, so of course it means a lot."

The last dance for Angie 💛 Olympic silver medalist & 3x Grand Slam champion Angelique Kerber has announced that she will retire after the #Paris2024#Olympics#tennispic.twitter.com/6yS17UyJJb

— ITF (@ITFTennis) July 25, 2024