Angelique Kerber (GER) poses with the trophy after her match against Karolina Pliskova (CZE) on day thirteen of the 2016 US Open tennis tournament at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Kerber was coming off a tiring run to the Olympic gold-medal match then and dealing with the pressure of her first chance to ascend to the top of the rankings.
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And the example Kerber sets for any young person is remarkable. Murray and Soares claimed their first major title together at the Australian Open in January and now have another to add to their collection as they sailed past their Spanish opponents 6-2 6-3. Subsequently she announced that she was pregnant and due to give birth at the end of the year, and intends to be back next season at some point.
She did well and was a Top 10 player, but never at the pinnacle. Angelique Kerber also had the lead on the breakers; breaking Pliskova two times in three break point opportunities.
But it was Pliskova’s stunning semifinal conquest of Serena Williams that became a win for the ages as the loss emphatically ended the American’s streak of 186 straight weeks as world No. 1.
Kerber has a wonderfully complete game.
“I’m so proud of myself”, she said of her performance at Flushing Meadows – both over the last two weeks and in the final.
Angelique Kerber said improving her fitness laid the foundation for her triumph in US Open 2016. Usually in years past she gets more caught out in the first week, not the second week. Kerber also had the only break point of the forty-six minute second frame.
The Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd roared, and Kerber celebrated by raising her right hand and wagging her index finger in the air, as if to remind Pliskova – and the world – “I’m No. 1!” That would unfortunately be his only point, as Djokovic capitalized on Wawrinka’s errors to win the tiebreaker and first set. She skipped the US Open because she is pregnant. And now she’s done the unthinkable: usurping Serena Williams for the No. 1 ranking. She had never been past the third round at a major. She has a sister Jessica; the entire family enjoys tennis and Kerber is trilingual – speaking German, Polish and English.
Kerber had started the year by winning the Australian Open but said her triumph in NY on Saturday, coupled with the number one ranking, had now taken off any pressure. Still, it must have certainly been a very nerve-wracking moment for Kerber when she found herself down 3-1 in the fourth game of the third set. “Even [though] I couldn’t get the win, I’m really happy”.
Kerber’s stellar defense put pressure on Pliskova to go after big shots, and the 24-year-old Czech made just enough errors to decide that match.
Faced with the challenge, Kerber admitted she was “a little negative” in the second set. She dropped on her back after the last point, then climbed into the stands to begin the celebration with her coach and others.
“It was not so easy because Karolina is a tough opponent and she was up a break early”. “To being there like a champion this year, to hold this trophy, it’s-I don’t know. I was always believing my weapons and about my tennis”. But at the end, I was always practicing and working hard to be No1.
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Serena Williams left the US Open without her No. 1 world ranking, and without her 23rd Grand Slam championship, too. “After my first Grand Slam title in Australia I felt so much [more] confident”. “I want to remember what happened 15 years ago”. I just go to court and spend a lot of hours as well on gym, or just make a lot of sprints and movement.
