An interview with Angelique Kerber

Angelique, how are you and your little girl Liana doing?

Angelique Kerber “Thank you, we’re both doing well. It’s an exciting time again, with many new challenges. Between family, training and preparing for the new season.”

You became a mother in February. Did you miss tennis during all of this time?

Angelique Kerber “Absolutely. I definitely missed the competition. Competing against the best players and playing in the big matches, that’s still what motivates me. I love this sport. Three, four days before the birth, I was still standing on the court in my academy and hitting balls.”

Have you learned anything new in the last few months?

Angelique Kerber “Yes, that you can get by on less sleep than you think (laughs). I have also learned to be more patient and to plan my day more efficiently in terms of work-life balance.”

Did you follow the tour during your maternity leave and which players impressed you?

Angelique Kerber “Absolutely, I kept up to date the whole time. Aside from some of the absolute top players like Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka, I was primarily impressed by Coco Gauff. She has been playing great tournaments for quite some time now, but the fact that she has already won the US Open at just 19 is a little surprising.”

For your comeback you have surrounded yourself with a trusted team headed by Torben Beltz. How much does that help?

Angelique Kerber “It gives me a great deal of confidence and a certain inner calm when I know that I have people on my side I can rely on. That was very important to me personally. Because of the extremely long preparation phase, I wanted a team around me that I have known for a long time and that I know understands the new situation. It’s not just about the coaching. The entire daily routine has to be planned a little differently. And to do this I need the understanding and full support of people I can count on.”

How is the preparation going?

Angelique Kerber Everything is on schedule. Of course, it's a completely different preparation for the Australian Open, if only because it takes three times as long as normal. But everything is going well. I still have a little time. When we fly to Australia after Christmas, I think I'll be ready for the first matches."

Is your tournament schedule up to the Australian Open set?

Angelique Kerber Yes. I'm going to play the United Cup in Sydney and I'm looking forward to starting my comeback for Germany. Before the Australian Open, the tournament in Adelaide is on my agenda.

Back to the preparation. Since you don't have to relearn tennis – did it all boil down to fitness in the end?

Angelique Kerber "Sure, until recently, fitness was the main topic. Now we're going back to tennis more. But fitness is the area where you lose the most in a year and a half. Coming back, trusting your body and listening to it, that was the biggest challenge at first. But I think we did a pretty good job."

You've come back several times in your career. Is this comeback the biggest challenge?

Angelique Kerber "It's definitely a different kind of coming back. If you don't play well, lose matches and fall into a deep hole as a result, you keep training and know how to get out of it. This time it's a completely different and much more difficult task. To get back into the United Cup directly after a break of one and a half years and then have the first Grand Slam ahead of you two weeks later is a huge challenge. But I chose it deliberately. That's exactly what appeals to me."

What motivates you to work so hard for your comeback?

Angelique Kerber "What motivates me above all is the love for this sport. It will never go away.
In addition, there is the challenge of returning to the big tennis stage and giving it your all once again
out of me. I want to compete against the best players in the world and give the fans my
best tennis. But I'm also realistic. We are still at the beginning

Did you ever have doubts about your return?

Angelique Kerber "No. When I set my mind to something, I want to do it right, until I get it right. Of course, it's an extremely long road, the likes of which I've never walked before. There have always been ups and downs, but then you have to be spontaneous, you have to start a training session an hour later. I have a good team around me that is flexible and knows how things work. But I never really doubted. As I said, when I start something, I want to finish it."

Do you exchange ideas with other tennis mothers, for example with your friend Caroline Wozniacki?

Angelique Kerber "I'm in contact with Caro from time to time, also with regard to the similar phase of life we're in right now. We exchange ideas, but in the end everyone has to go their own way and find out for themselves what works best and how everything can be reconciled."

Are you already planning your season until the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart in April?

Angelique Kerber "So that's the goal, definitely. I'd very much like to play in the Porsche Arena again and I'm very optimistic. I missed the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix last year and hope to be there again this time."