Angelique Kerber is also on the tennis court these days. With some young people from their tennis academy in Puszczykowo, Poland, Kerber recently hit a few balls over the net. But the training was a far cry from the intense sessions she normally does at this time of year. After all, the focus at Kerber has just shifted significantly. The 34-year-old is expecting her first child in spring, so she only plays tennis now and then to keep fit.
“It’s a completely new situation for me,” said Kerber in an interview with the German Press Agency. Normally she would train hard now to lay the foundations for the new season and to prepare optimally for the Australian Open in Melbourne. For years she also spent her birthday on January 18 “Down Under” – now everything is different. “Of course I enjoy the deceleration, the time with my family, the opportunity to be able to go away spontaneously for a few days without any major deadline pressure, especially now in the Advent season,” said Kerber.
Beginning of a new chapter in life
The last time she played an official match was in the disappointing third-round loss at Wimbledon in the summer. Shortly before the US Open, she made her pregnancy public. The beginning of a new chapter in your life – and the end of your career? No! Already in the statement in which she announced the upcoming birth of her first child, Kerber wrote about her comeback plans.
A plan that she emphatically reaffirmed shortly before Christmas. “I love my sport, the routine on the tour, the thrill and the emotions of the matches. I already miss that. That’s why I want to come back,” said Kerber.
Don’t let yourself be pressured
She leaves it open when the former number one in the world will return to the tour. Players like Serena Williams or Victoria Asarenka came back after a baby break of almost half a year. Birth in spring, comeback in autumn at the US Open? Kerber doesn’t want to put himself under pressure.
“It’s clear to me that I’ll only return to the tour when I’m fit and feel ready,” said the native of Kiel. However, she intends not to let the break become too long, knowing full well that it would then be increasingly difficult for her to return. “But it’s also clear that I want to get back to work as soon as possible,” Kerber made clear.
Get as much sleep as possible now
When she’s back, nothing will ever be the same again. Kerber knows that. “Balancing work and family is a big challenge,” she said. “My wish is to reconcile both.”
In the past few weeks and months, she has therefore exchanged views with many mothers on the tour, got tips from Williams, Asarenka and Tatjana Maria, who even travels around the world with two children and her husband. “In general, I got the advice from friends that it only works with a lot of support from the environment and that planning ahead for the trips is important,” said Kerber.
But it will be a while before that happens. First of all, she is really looking forward to her first child. After a few hectic weeks presenting her biography and founding the company together with national soccer goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, Kerber will now withdraw a little, “take it a little easier” and follow advice from many friends: “That I still have to enjoy the quiet nights now and get as much sleep as possible.”
