On Wednesday, Angelique Kerber will play an official tennis match on German soil for the first time since her comeback following a one and a half year maternity leave. At the WTA tournament in Stuttgart, the former world number one will face a no less prominent opponent in the form of the British Emma Raducanu. In advance, however, Kerber dampens expectations considerably.
Last week, Kerber was with the German women’s team in Brazil, where they qualified for the final round of the Billie Jean King Cup in the cauldron of Sao Paulo. However, Kerber himself was unable to contribute to the success of the DTB.
“I wasn’t able to train properly in Brazil, partly because of the cold,” the 36-year-old explained. “The long flight didn’t make it any better. I have to say, I don’t know the last time I was so extremely weak and sick.” Although she is now doing “better every day”, it remains to be seen how fit the 36-year-old is to compare with Raducanu.
Real top duel outside the top 300
In any case, the three-time Grand Slam winner is unsurprisingly not yet back in top form. She is still in the phase of “getting closer” to her performance level again, said Kerber. “My last tournament on clay was two years ago. I’m very excited to see how it all goes.”
However, the fact that she can demonstrate her skills again in front of her home audience in Stuttgart means “a lot” to Kerber and is “something very special. It spurs me on, it motivates me even more.”
In the top-class main field in Stuttgart, Kerber is one of three German participants alongside Tatjana Maria and Laura Siegemund. All three received wild cards.
Curious: On Wednesday Kerber, who is now only ranked 332nd in the world rankings, will meet the former US Open winner Raducanu, who also fell out of the top 300 due to injuries – a real top duel.
2024-04-16 12:44:00
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