Alexander Zverev and Angelique Kerber won the United Cup with Germany. They start the Australian Open with very different ambitions.
Alexander Zverev and Angelique Kerber were able to celebrate together before the Australian Open. Together they won the United Cup, where Kerber made her comeback after her maternity leave. At the first Grand Slam tournament of the year, the two German tennis professionals are on their own again – and they have individual goals that differ enormously from each other.
Kerber with a premiere tournament as a mother
For Kerber, the focus cannot be on achieving great sporting success like in 2016, when she won the Australian Open. In Melbourne she will compete in her first major tournament as a mother and the expectations of the former world number one should be correspondingly realistic. The 35-year-old played five games in the United Cup and says she has “gotten better from match to match”, “but I definitely still lack match practice”.
1st round, women arrow right 1st round, men arrow right
She will collect it at the Australian Open, but the question is how much. Because Kerber got an extremely challenging draw, she starts on Monday (January 15, 2024) against Danielle Collins (USA), who reached the final in 2022. If she survives the opening round, her opponent in the second round would probably be world number one Iga Swiatek. An opening program that doesn’t really invite you to plan for a long stay at the Australian Open. Especially since Kerber herself doesn’t yet know exactly where she actually stands.
“Cold start” with “fire”
“Of course I know a little more after the United Cup, but it’s still a complete cold start for me,” she said. “That’s why I know that I still have to be patient. No matter what happens here, I will still need a few weeks and months to find my rhythm again. But at some point you have to start.”
Sportschau, January 12, 2024 5:06 p.m
For her it was “one of the best tournaments with the best memories,” but now she will make completely new memories. This place, which has been so successful for her, will be the place where she will compete in her first tournament as a mother. But Kerber also emphasized: “I still have the fire.” In her case, the Olympic idea is likely to prevail: taking part is everything.
Becker counts Zverev as one of the favorites
Things are different with Zverev; he has not yet been able to realize his dream of winning his first Grand Slam tournament. Will it come true this time in Australia? “I think the stars are very good for him. He can be counted among the favorites,” said German tennis legend Boris Becker on “Eurosport”. “Anything other than a minimum of a second week would surprise me. I think we will see a very strong Sascha Zverev in Melbourne.”
The impressions from the United Cup confirm this assumption, Zverev is already in good form at the start of the year. “For me, next year will be a year where I don’t want to set any limits for myself. Let’s see how it goes,” the 26-year-old had previously said. And these non-limits include, in addition to the first Grand Slam success: becoming number one in the world rankings.
2024 should be Zverev’s year
The fact that Zverev fought back last season after a serious ligament injury at the French Open in June 2022 gave him back the optimism that he could do this. “If anyone had told me a year ago, ‘You’re at the ATP Finals’, I would have flipped them the bird,” he said in an interview with Playboy. However, Zverev believes “that the more interesting step could come in 2024. I am now back in the top ten – what speaks against me becoming number one this year or at some point?”
However, Zverev, who has already won 21 tournaments in his career and was number two, would have to win the title at one of the four biggest tournaments. In Australia he is making his tenth attempt, and in 2020 he achieved his best result there to date by reaching the semi-finals. But this year Zverev wants even more.
2024-01-12 16:16:08
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