Angelique Kerber says she hopes to follow in the footsteps of players such as Victoria Azarenka by achieving success on the Tour after becoming a parent.
The three-time Grand Slam champion announced she was expecting her first child shortly before the start of this year’s US Open and is set to give birth to her first child in the spring. Despite being on maternity leave, Kerber is continuing to keep herself active by playing tennis with children at a local academy in Puszczykowo and still trains at the gym.
During an interview with the WTA, the German says her motivation to return to the Tour as a mother has been aided by the examples set by the likes of Azarenka and Kim Clijsters.
“When you talk now to them, it’s more intense listening to what they say,” Kerber told wtatennis.com. “We see the moms can come back, also winning big titles. And I hope I can also be one of them, an inspiration for new moms and women to come back to doing their business.”
The 34-year-old hasn’t played a competitive match since losing in the third round at Wimbledon to Elise Mertens. So far in her career, she has held the No.1 ranking for 34 weeks and has won 14 Tour titles. In 2016 she won both the Australian Open and US Open trophies before going on to claim the Wimbledon crown in 2018.
It is unclear as to when Kerber plans to return to the Tour but it will likely be during the second half of the 2023 season. One possible target could be the US Open which starts at the end of August.
“I don’t know what time or which tournament because I really want to take the time,” she said of her return. “And when I come back, I want to come back 100 percent, fit again and feel good. This is the plan.”
Even before she was pregnant, an inquisitive Kerber asked fellow players such as Serena Williams what it has been like for them to return to the Tour after becoming mothers. But what was the best piece of advice she received?
“Take your time,” she said, “enjoy the moment now. And then, they said I will feel when the time is there to come back. It’s better to take one month later than one month earlier.”
Kerber is currently ranked 102nd in the WTA rankings. This season she has won one Tour title which was in May at the Strasburg Open in France.
