Three-time Grand Slam winner Angelique Kerber is back in Melbourne—and has come to a sobering conclusion.
Ten years after her first Grand Slam title at the Australian Open, Angelique Kerber is concerned about the state of German women’s tennis. “We don’t need to lie to ourselves. It wasn’t ideal,” Kerber said in Melbourne about the poor performance of the female DTB professionals this year: “Of course, we had hoped for more. It definitely wasn’t good.”
Only Laura Siegemund made it through the first round in Australia, but she was also eliminated early on. Kerber does not have much hope that things will improve significantly anytime soon. “We definitely have to be patient. How much patience, that’s anyone’s guess,” said the three-time major winner, who will be participating in the legends tournament at Melbourne Park in the coming days. “I think some juniors will follow, but that’s not in my hands; all parties have to play along,” Kerber said, explaining: “I know what it takes to get to the top and how much you have to invest. The players have to do that too – over a period of several years.” It’s not the case, added the Kiel native, “that you train for a week and then you become a Grand Slam winner.”
Kerber has been working as an advisor for women’s tennis at the German Tennis Federation (DTB) since 2025. The mother of two believes that, given the current structures in Germany, it is still possible to produce world-class players.
Friday marks the tenth anniversary of Kerber’s triumph on the Yarra River. In addition to the 38-year-old, who ended her career in 2024 after the Paris Olympics, former pros Tommy Haas (47) and Andrea Petkovic (38) will also be playing in the show events. Both women’s and men’s doubles and mixed doubles will be played at the “AO Legends Cup.”