The former top player is being honoured for her lifetime achievement. During the announcement, she also spoke about the current state of women’s tennis.
Angelique Kerber is delighted to receive her award as a “Sports Legend”, but the current state of German women’s tennis is a cause for concern for the former world number one: “Progress in women’s tennis is slow to materialise, and we’ll probably need a bit more patience before we can welcome another player or two back as Grand Slam winners,” said Kerber during the announcement that she is the winner of the Pegasos Prize, which the Kiel native will receive at the Sports Press Ball in early November.
Nevertheless, Kerber explained, she is trying to use her experience “to pass on something to the younger generation. We now have plenty of tournaments in Germany too – and I hope that this will boost the young players’ motivation.” In the current WTA world rankings, only two German players feature in the top 100: Tamara Korpatsch (56th/Hamburg) and Tatjana Maria (69th/Bad Saulgau). “Without discipline and hard work, you can’t reach the very top,” Kerber explained: “Determination and mental strength are absolutely essential. You have to train hard to achieve success.”
Kerber herself won three Grand Slam titles in the 2010s and also claimed Olympic silver in 2016. The fact that she is now being honoured as a “sports legend” for her lifetime’s work means a great deal to her, said the 38-year-old in Frankfurt am Main. “I’ve always told myself that when I eventually retire, I want to be seen as an athlete who always gave her all and left her heart on the court, whilst still remaining true to herself.”
Kerber also emphasised the importance of dealing well with periods of weakness. “It’s normal to hit a rough patch now and then; you can’t play at the highest level for your entire career. There are always ups and downs – just like in life,” she said. It was partly thanks to this realisation that she managed to achieve “all my dreams”.