- Kerber's famous career ends in Paris
After her memorable farewell from the tennis court, Angelique Kerber found it difficult to hold back tears. The thrilling quarterfinal match at the Olympic Games in France against Chinese player Qinwen Zheng will be remembered as the dramatic final match of the 36-year-old's career. Although Kerber leaves Paris without a medal, she demonstrated her immense fighting spirit in the 7:6 (7:4), 4:6, 6:7 (6:8) defeat.
"Of course, it's sad not to have won the last two points. But I couldn't have imagined a better scenario," said Kerber, visibly moved, pausing to collect her emotions: "I will always remember this match. It's over somehow. It's also crazy."
Two points short of a medal chance
The loss meant that the former world number one ended her career without the fairytale medal win. However, the most successful German tennis player since Steffi Graf still managed a successful exit. In the third set, the German hopeful led 4:1 and 6:5, but couldn't maintain the lead due to exhaustion from the heat.
The audience tried to help her with "Angie, Angie" chants. With all her might, she saved three match points in a row in the tiebreak. However, after 3:04 hours, the happy ending didn't materialize. "The tiebreak was very emotional," reported the Kiel native. She's trying to push away the fact that it was her last match.
"I can't really realize it yet," admitted the most prominent German tennis player of recent years. She expects to do so "in two or three days" or "maybe in two or three weeks." "But there are many emotions. It wasn't easy when I came out of the locker room."
One of the most popular and well-known German athletes of the past decade is retiring. Her career had its ups and downs, but especially the highlights will be remembered. Kerber is the 2016 Australian Open and US Open champion, the 2018 Wimbledon winner, and was the top-ranked player in the world. In Rio de Janeiro, she won Olympic silver in 2016. A record like this will likely not be seen in the German Tennis Federation's women's division for a long time.
Boris Becker congratulated her on a "unique career" and wrote on X: "You left everything on the court today (as always) and can be proud of your performance! We will miss you very much."
Kerber is simply "proud" of what she has achieved in the past days and the past two decades. "I have achieved everything I ever dreamed of. What more could you want at the end?" said the former German Sportswoman of the Year, who has now also made peace with the previously disliked clay courts in Paris.
Kerber is now a mother to a nearly 17-month-old daughter. Her priorities have shifted a bit. Her comeback after her maternity break was difficult for months and was marked by poor results. Only after announcing that the Summer Games would be her last tournament did the left-hander play freely. Until the very last point, the model athlete demonstrated what she was known for: her fighting spirit.
Kerber frustrates her opponent
The drama that unfolded in this final Kerber match was not apparent at the start. The quarterfinal against the Chinese top-ten player ended with an extraordinary party atmosphere, but began on the still nearly empty Court Philippe-Chatrier. After Dominic Koepfer's loss to Serbian Wimbledon finalist Novak Djokovic (5-7, 3:6), spectators had used the break for a timeout.
Kerber secured an early break with the Chinese player's faulty start and led 3:1. However, as the world number seven improved and put more pressure on, the Northern German briefly lost her focus and lost four games in a row.
But those who thought the first set would slip from her grasp were mistaken. The left-hander unsettled the 15-year-old younger opponent with tactically cleverly placed higher, slower balls and threw her off rhythm. She turned a 3:5 deficit into a 6:5.
The match became intense
Had close situations in recent months unsettled Kerber, the three-time Grand Slam tournament winner remained calm and confident in her fourth match of these Olympic Games. Losing her serve again and having to go to a tiebreak didn't rattle her, and she kept her nerves.
Her mother Beata, her partner Franco Bianco, her coach Torben Beltz, and her manager Aljoscha Thron were cheering her on from the tribune. As the heat became oppressive, Kerber seemed to feel the strain of the previous days towards the end of the second set. The third set, played under the closed roof due to the setting rain, was decisive, with Kerber pushing herself to the limit and also wearing down her 21-year-old opponent. "A worthy and impressive 'Last Dance'," wrote her long-time companion Barbara Rittner on x.
Last week, after announcing her retirement, there was concern that Kerber might face a dismal first-round exit. In the end, she was just two points away from the semifinals. "I realized that I can still compete at the top," Kerber said, adding that she wanted to leave on her own terms: "I never wanted to stop because of an injury. I never wanted to stop because my ranking was too low. I always wanted to have it in my own hands."
She won't be swayed. "I'm still sure that this is the right time for me to retire here in Paris."
Despite the heartbreaking loss, Kerber's performance in the Olympic Games quarterfinals against Qinwen Zheng will undoubtedly be talked about in future discussions about her illustrious career. Her retirement after the Summer Games means she won't have the chance to compete in the Olympic Games again, potentially missing out on another chance at a medal.
