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Angelique Kerber

Country (sports)

Germany

Residence

Puszczykowo, Poland

Born

18 January 1988 (age 37)
Bremen, West Germany

Height

1.73 m (5 ft 8 in)

Turned pro

2003

Retired

July 31, 2024

Plays

Left-handed (two-handed backhand)

Coach

Torben Beltz

Prize money

US$32,519,180

8th in all-time rankings

Official website

angelique-kerber.de

Singles

Career record

683–378 (64.37%)

Career titles

Highest ranking

No. 1 (12 September 2016)

Grand Slam singles results

W (2016)

QF (2012, 2018)

W (2018)

W (2016)

Other tournaments

Tour Finals

F (2016)

Olympic Games

F (2016)

Doubles

Career record

59–64 (47.97%)

Career titles

Highest ranking

No. 103 (26 August 2013)

Grand Slam doubles results

Australian Open

1R (2008, 2011, 2012)

French Open

2R (2012)

Wimbledon

3R (2011)

US Open

3R (2012)

Other doubles tournaments

Olympic Games

2R (2012)

Grand Slam mixed doubles results

Wimbledon

2R (2012)

Other mixed doubles tournaments

Olympic Games

1R (2012)

Team competitions

Fed Cup

F (2014), record 13–12

Hopman Cup

F (2018, 2019)

Medal record

Olympic Games

Representing Germany
Silver	2016 Rio de Janeiro	Singles

Angelique Kerber (born 18 January 1988) is a German former professional tennis player. She was ranked the world No. 1 in singles for 34 weeks. Angelique won three major tennis tournaments called Grand Slams. These were the Australian Open and US Open in 2016. She also won Wimbledon in 2018.

She also won a silver medal at the 2016 Olympic Games. In 2016, she finished the year as the world's top tennis player. Kerber started her professional career in 2003. She became well-known after reaching the semifinals of the 2011 US Open. She was ranked No. 92 at that time. Angelique is a left-handed player. She first entered the top 5 rankings in 2012. She became world No. 1 on 12 September 2016. She was the 22nd player to reach this top spot. She also was the oldest player to do so. Angelique won 14 singles titles during her career. These wins were on all different types of tennis courts. She retired from professional tennis on July 31, 2024.

Early Life

Angelique Kerber was born on 18 January 1988. Her birthplace was Bremen, West Germany. Her parents are Sławomir Kerber and Beata (née Rzeźnik). Her mother is also her manager. Angelique has one sister named Jessica. She grew up in Kiel, Germany. Her family lived in an apartment at a tennis training academy. Her parents worked there. She started playing tennis when she was three years old. She later joined junior tennis competitions. Even though she was born right-handed, Angelique plays tennis with her left hand.

Career Highlights

Starting Out (2003–2011)

Angelique Kerber tried to join her first WTA tournament in 2005. This was at the Auckland Open. She made her first main tournament appearance at a Grand Slam in 2007. This was at the French Open. She reached the third round at a WTA tournament in Birmingham. She also reached her first quarterfinal in Rosmalen.

In 2008, Angelique won her first Grand Slam match. This was at the Australian Open. She also reached the third round at Indian Wells. She won two more smaller ITF titles that year. In 2010, she reached the third round of a major tournament for the first time. This was at the Australian Open. She also reached her first WTA final in Bogotá. She finished 2010 ranked No. 47 in the world.

Kerber at the 2011 US Open, where she made her first Grand Slam semifinal

In 2011, Angelique had a breakthrough at the US Open. She was ranked No. 92. She surprised many by reaching her first Grand Slam semifinal. She beat higher-ranked players along the way. After this tournament, her ranking went up to No. 34. She ended 2011 as world No. 32.

Rising to the Top (2012–2014)

In 2012, Angelique continued to improve. She reached the semifinals of the Auckland Open. At the Australian Open, she was seeded for the first time. She won her first WTA singles title in Paris. She beat top players like Maria Sharapova in this tournament. This win helped her ranking rise.

She reached the semifinals at the Indian Wells Open. Her ranking improved to No. 14. She won her second title of the year at the Danish Open. She beat Caroline Wozniacki in the final. She then reached the semifinals in Rome. This made her enter the top 10 rankings for the first time. At the French Open, she reached the quarterfinals.

Kerber at the 2012 Wimbledon Championships, where she reached her second Grand Slam semifinal

Angelique reached her second Grand Slam semifinal at Wimbledon. She beat Kim Clijsters and Sabine Lisicki. At the London Olympics, she reached the quarterfinals. She beat Venus Williams there. She also beat Serena Williams for the first time at the Cincinnati Open. She reached the final there. Angelique qualified for the WTA Tour Championships for the first time. She finished 2012 as world No. 5. She had 60 wins that season.

In 2013, Angelique continued to play well. She reached the fourth round of the Australian Open. This meant she had reached the second week of all four Grand Slams. She reached the semifinals at Indian Wells. She also reached her first final of 2013 in Monterrey. She helped Germany get back into the World Group in the Fed Cup. She reached the semifinals in Stuttgart. She also made the quarterfinals at the Madrid Open. At the French Open, she reached the fourth round again.

She reached her second final of 2013 at the Pan Pacific Open. She won her third career title at the Linz Open. This win secured her spot at the WTA Tour Championships. She finished 2013 as world No. 9.

Kerber at the 2014 Nuremberg Cup

In 2014, Angelique started strong. She reached the final in Sydney. She also made the fourth round of the Australian Open. She helped Germany reach the Fed Cup final. She reached her second final of 2014 at the Qatar Open. She made her first quarterfinal in Miami.

On grass, she reached the final of the Eastbourne International. She was a runner-up for the third time in 2014. At Wimbledon, she reached the quarterfinals. She beat Maria Sharapova there. She reached her fourth final of the year at the Stanford tournament. She lost to Serena Williams. Angelique finished 2014 as world No. 10. Germany lost to the Czech Republic in the Fed Cup final.

Winning Titles (2015)

Angelique started 2015 with good results in Brisbane and Sydney. However, she lost in the first round of the Australian Open. This was her first Grand Slam first-round loss since 2011. She fell out of the top 10 rankings in April.

At the Charleston Open, she won her fourth WTA title. This was her first title on clay courts. She then won her fifth career title in Stuttgart. She beat Caroline Wozniacki in the final. This was her first title on home soil.

Kerber at the 2015 Italian Open

On grass, Angelique won the title at the Birmingham Classic. This was her sixth career title and first on grass. This was the first time she won more than two titles in a season. She defended her runner-up result at the Stanford tournament. She won her seventh career title there. She became the only player to win titles on all surfaces in 2015. Angelique qualified for the WTA Finals for the third time. She finished the season as world No. 10.

World No. 1 and Grand Slam Champion (2016)

Kerber at the 2016 US Open, where she won the second of her two Grand Slam titles that year, and sealed the world No. 1 ranking

Angelique started 2016 by reaching the final of the Brisbane International. She was the seventh seed at the Australian Open. She saved a match point in the first round. She then reached her first quarterfinal in Melbourne. She beat Victoria Azarenka to reach her first Grand Slam final. She defeated the world No. 1, Serena Williams, to win her first Grand Slam title. This made her the first German woman to win a Grand Slam since 1999. After this win, she reached her highest ranking of world No. 2.

She successfully defended her title in Stuttgart. This was her second title of the year and ninth overall. At Wimbledon, she reached her second final. She did not lose a set on her way to the final. She lost to Serena Williams in the final.

At the Rio Olympics, Angelique won a silver medal. She reached the gold medal match. She lost to Monica Puig. At the Cincinnati Open, she had a chance to become world No. 1. She reached the final but lost to Karolína Plíšková.

At the US Open, Angelique reached her third Grand Slam final. She beat Roberta Vinci and Caroline Wozniacki. Because Serena Williams lost in the semifinals, Angelique became the new world No. 1. This happened on 12 September. In the final, Angelique beat Karolína Plíšková. This was her second Grand Slam title and 10th career title. She finished 2016 as the year-end world No. 1. She also reached the final of the WTA Finals.

Challenges and Comeback (2017–2018)

Kerber at the 2017 Fed Cup World Group Play-offs against Ukraine

In 2017, Angelique faced some challenges. She lost in the fourth round of the Australian Open. Serena Williams took back the world No. 1 ranking. Angelique briefly regained the No. 1 ranking in March. This was because Serena Williams withdrew from a tournament. At the French Open, she lost in the first round. This was the first time a top seed lost in the first round there. At Wimbledon, she lost in the fourth round. Karolína Plíšková became the new world No. 1. Angelique finished 2017 ranked No. 21. This was her lowest ranking since 2012. She also changed coaches.

Kerber at the 2018 Wimbledon Championships, where she won her third and most recent Grand Slam title

Angelique started 2018 strong. She won her first title in over a year at the Sydney International. This was her 11th career title. At the Australian Open, she reached the semifinals. She returned to the top 10 rankings. She reached the quarterfinals at Indian Wells and Miami.

At the French Open, she reached the quarterfinals. This was her best result there since 2012. She then had great success on grass. She reached the semifinals in Eastbourne. At Wimbledon, she was the 11th seed. She reached her second Wimbledon final. In the final, she beat Serena Williams in straight sets. This was her third Grand Slam title. With this win, she became one Grand Slam short of a career Grand Slam. She also returned to world No. 4. Angelique finished 2018 as world No. 2.

Later Career and Retirement (2019–2024)

Angelique started 2019 by reaching the final of the Hopman Cup. She reached the quarterfinals in Sydney. At the Australian Open, she reached the fourth round. She reached her first Premier Mandatory final at the Indian Wells Open. She lost to Bianca Andreescu. She then had some struggles with injuries and form. She lost in the first round of the French Open. At Wimbledon, she lost in the second round as the defending champion. She fell out of the top 10. She finished 2019 as world No. 20.

Kerber at the 2020 Australian Open

In 2020, Angelique reached the fourth round of the Australian Open. The tennis season was then paused due to the COVID-19 pandemic. She reunited with her former coach, Torben Beltz. She reached the fourth round of the US Open. She finished 2020 ranked No. 25. This was her lowest year-end ranking since 2011.

In 2021, Angelique faced challenges due to quarantine rules in Australia. She reached the quarterfinals of the Grampians Trophy. She won her first title since 2018 at the Bad Homburg Open. This was her 13th career title. She reached the semifinals of Wimbledon for the fourth time. She also reached the semifinals of the Cincinnati Open. She returned to the top 10 rankings in November 2021.

In 2022, Angelique had to miss some tournaments due to illness. She reached the fourth round at Indian Wells. She won her 14th career title at Strasbourg. This was her first title on outdoor clay. She saved two match points in the final. On August 24, 2022, Angelique announced she was taking a break from tennis because she was pregnant. She gave birth to a daughter in 2023. She finished 2022 ranked No. 103.

Angelique returned to tennis in 2024. She played for Team Germany at the 2024 United Cup. She helped her team reach the final. She won a critical match against Ajla Tomljanović. Team Germany won the tournament. At Indian Wells, she reached the fourth round. She beat a top-10 player for the first time in over two years. On July 25, 2024, Angelique announced her retirement. Her last match was on July 31, 2024, at the Paris Olympics. She reached the quarterfinals there.

Playing Style

Kerber's squatting backhand position

Angelique Kerber is known for her defensive style of play. She is very fast and agile on the court. She moves well and has great footwork. She often tries to make her opponents make mistakes. She can hit powerful shots even when she is defending.

Her forehand is considered her strongest shot. She can hit it with power and surprise. She can also hit the ball at sharp angles. Her best shot is her forehand hit down the line. Angelique often squats low when she hits her backhand. This helps her create power and sharp angles. Her serve is sometimes seen as a weaker part of her game. She doesn't hit many aces. Her second serve can be attacked by opponents.

Even with a weaker serve, Angelique is great at defending her serve. She is also one of the best at returning serves on the WTA Tour. She plays best when she is aggressive, even though her main style is defensive. Her favorite court surface is grass. The fast pace of grass courts suits her flat-hitting style. She has also had a lot of success on hard courts.

Personal Life

Angelique Kerber lives in Puszczykowo, Poland. Her grandfather owned a tennis center there. She speaks German, Polish, and English. She has dual German-Polish citizenship. She has always played for Germany. She says she is German and her heart beats for Germany.

Angelique is a big fan of football. Her favorite team is FC Bayern Munich. She has said that former German tennis player Steffi Graf was her idol. Steffi Graf inspired her to play tennis. Angelique is Catholic. She believes faith is important to her. She says it helps her in tough times.

On August 24, 2022, Angelique announced she was taking a break from tennis. This was because she was pregnant. She gave birth to a daughter in 2023.

Endorsements

Angelique Kerber has many sponsorship deals. Adidas provides her clothing and shoes. Yonex is her racquet sponsor. She uses a Yonex Vcore SI 100 racquet. In 2015, she became a global ambassador for Stuttgart car company Porsche. She also signed deals with Generali (an insurance group) and Bare Minerals (a cosmetics company).

In 2017, she became an ambassador for Slim Secrets (a health snack brand). She also signed with Rolex (luxury watches) and SAP (software). Angelique is also an ambassador for UNICEF, a children's charity. In 2019, she became an ambassador for Head and Shoulders Suprême. She also partnered with Ole Lynggaard Copenhagen (jewelry). In December 2019, she became the tournament ambassador for the Bad Homburg Open.

Her many endorsements made her the second highest-paid female athlete in the world in 2017. This was according to the Forbes list.

Coaches

Angelique Kerber has worked with several coaches. These include Torben Beltz (multiple times), Wim Fissette, Rainer Schüttler, and Dieter Kindlmann. She reunited with Torben Beltz in July 2020. They worked together until November 2021.

Grand Slam Tournament Finals

Singles: 4 (3 titles, 1 runner-up)

Result	Year	Tournament	Surface	Opponent	Score
Win	2016	Australian Open	Hard	Serena Williams	6–4, 3–6, 6–4
Loss	2016	Wimbledon	Grass	Serena Williams	5–7, 3–6
Win	2016	US Open	Hard	Karolína Plíšková	6–3, 4–6, 6–4
Win	2018	Wimbledon	Grass	Serena Williams	6–3, 6–3