Kerber: I wish people realise that we are stronger together than each on their own

Former World No. 1 Angelique Kerber was scheduled to make her comeback to the WTA Tour at the Porsche Grand Prix in Stuttgart this week after being injured earlier in the year and says she is disappointed that she has to be at home instead during the tennis shutdown.

In an interview to Automobil Sport, Kerber, who is also a Brand Ambassador for Porsche, says, “I’m in Poland and I’m fine. It’s a real shame the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix can’t be played due to the corona crisis. After my injury worries at the start of the season, I’m now fit again and was raring to get back on tour. To celebrate my comeback at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix with the fantastic Stuttgart crowd was especially motivating for me. The Porsche Tennis Grand Prix belongs to my favourite tournaments and from the other players, I know just how much they would have liked to have come to Stuttgart again. Right up until the last minute, I was naturally hoping there would be a solution after all but in the end the organisers had no other choice. I feel it is good and right that, out of consideration for the health of everybody involved, the officials have decided in the way they have. I’m now looking forward to next year’s tournament.”

Kerber has been a two-time champion at Stuttgart in 2015 and 2016 and has some fond memories of the event. "For me, there are many lovely memories bound up with Stuttgart. Foremost are naturally the two finals I won in the Porsche Arena. The one in 2015 against Caroline Wozniacki was a real thriller. I was 5-3 down in the third set and Caroline was only two points away from winning. And then I turned the match around with the help of the fantastic crowd. In my second-round match in the same year, I beat the top-seeded Maria Sharapova, the three-time Stuttgart winner, in three sets. That was also a big highlight. One year later there was the all-German final against Laura Siegemund in which I was under a lot of extra pressure as the titleholder. The atmosphere in the arena and the emotions after my victory are something I’ll never forget."

Kerber, who has not played since the Australian Open in January, says she is trying to remain motivated now during the stay at home period. "The break came so suddenly and unexpectedly so that I had to firstly totally reorient myself. It wasn’t that easy. However, the motivation to push oneself to train is always naturally there for top athletes. After all, I’m following a goal and I know why I’m doing it. So, it’s also not difficult to keep motivated even though I don’t know how long I have to stay at home for – whether it’s weeks or months. It’s the little things I miss, the ones that were the norm up until recently but are now no longer possible. I miss my normal daily routine and would like to go for a coffee with friends again. But these days, my only trips outside in the fresh air are to go shopping in the supermarket, with a face mask and protective gloves.”

The 32 year old also adds that she hopes the current crisis helps people realise that being united helps everybody rather than each one acting on their own. "I actually think one can learn from such crises. Hopefully, we will all learn to be more grateful for things we otherwise don’t know how to appreciate properly. I also wish people will fully realise in this crisis that we are stronger together than everybody on their own and that we will act accordingly in the future too.”

from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/2VwS0KS