Tennis phenom Angelique Kerber has spent her entire life swinging a racket. She first started playing at only three years old, joined the junior circuit early on, and in 2003 made her professional debut at age 15.
Kerber reached the semifinals in the 2011 US Open, ranked at number 92 in the world. The following year she broke into the top five. When she reached number one in 2016, she stayed there for 34 weeks. She has won 14 career singles titles — including three major titles at the 2016 Australian Open, the 2016 US Open, and the 2018 Wimbledon Championships — and a silver medal in women's singles representing Germany at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
Kerber is an aggressively defensive player, noted for her speed, agility, athleticism, and footwork. While her serve is not her greatest strength, her forehand is a force to be reckoned with. Her groundstrokes are powerful, allowing her to slam shots with speed and unpredictable return paths. Her signature squatting position sets up her backhand swing, allowing her to generate considerable power and sharp angles on the court. The fast pace and low bounce of grass courts cater to her defensive playing style, making them a favorite for Kerber.
Kerber’s impressive success on the tennis court has translated into lucrative endorsement deals outside of the sport. Adidas covered her athletic wear, and she became global ambassador for Porsche in 2015. The following years would see her as a beauty ambassador for the U.S. cosmetics company Bare Minerals, global brand ambassador for Australian health snack brand Slim Secrets, and brand ambassador for both Head and Shoulders Supreme and Ole Lynggaard Copenhagen. She also signed with the Swiss luxury watchmaker Rolex and the software corporation SAP. Her portfolio of endorsements has made her the second highest-paid female athlete in the world on the annual Forbes list in 2017.
In August of 2022, Kerber announced a hiatus from tennis to focus on her next life-changing endeavor: pregnancy. She has made it clear, however, that she fully intends to return to the court later this year as soon as she’s fit, potentially making her only the fourth mother to win a Grand Slam title.
“I don’t know what time or which tournament because I really want to take the time,” she told the official WTA Tour website. “And when I come back, I want to come back 100 percent, fit again and feel good. This is the plan.”