By Nathalia Araújo and Florian Lütticke, dpa I Friday, July 26, 2024
BERLIN – German tennis star and former world number one Angelique Kerber will end her professional career after the 2024 Olympics in Paris, she said on Instagram on Thursday.
“Before the Olympics begin, I can already say that I will never forget Paris 2024, because it will be my last professional tournament as a tennis player,” she wrote.
“And whereas this might actually be the right decision, it will never feel that way. Simply because I love the sport with all my heart and I’m thankful for the memories and opportunities it has given me,” Kerber added.
The three-time Grand Slam winner and 2016 Olympic silver medallist made her comeback to the sport this year following a 18-month maternity leave. But she hasn’t been able to build on the great successes she enjoyed at the peak of her career.
“The Olympics, I’ve participated in so far, have been more than just competitions as they represent different chapters of my life as a tennis player: the climb, the peak… and now, the finish line,” she said.
Kerber won the Australian Open and the US Open in 2016 and became the first German world number one after Steffi Graf. Two years later, she added the Wimbledon trophy to her silverware cabinet.
She gave birth to her daughter Liana at the end of February 2022 and made her comeback from maternity leave at the end of the same year. In 2024, she was eliminated from the Australian Open, the French Open and Wimbledon in the first round.
However, her biggest goal after coming back from maternity leave was participating at the 2024 Games.
“Paris 2024 will mark the finish line of the most incredible journey I could have ever dreamed of growing up with a racket in my hand,” she said. “For now, I will take the time and soak up every second of this final episode on court.”
