Angelique Kerber opens up on comeback from maternity - 'What people expect of me no longer interests me'
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Updated 08/04/2024 at 19:44 GMT
Three-time Grand Slam champion Angie Kerber is one of a number of mothers to have returned to tennis in recent times. As she discussed her mindset around her comeback ahead of playing in Stuttgart, the German says that she has seen her game go "in the right direction" but that "there’s now a little person in my life that’s more important than tennis".
Collins comes through deciding-set battle with Kerber - Australian Open highlights
Angelique Kerber said "what people expect of me no longer interests me" as she opened up on how she feels her comeback to tennis has progressed so far.
The 36-year-old German - a three-time major champion and former world No. 1 - stepped back from the sport in 2022 to have her first child, Liana, who was born on February 25, 2023.
But like a number of other WTA stars - such as Naomi Osaka, Caroline Wozniacki and Elina Svitolina - she decided to come back to the sport following a period of maternity leave.
There have been promising signs so far, especially in her recent run to the last 16 of Indian Wells, where she beat seeds Jelena Ostapenko and Veronika Kudermetova before losing to Wozniacki.
Speaking ahead of appearing on home soil at the Stuttgart Open, she said: "I don’t put myself under pressure anymore.
"I love tennis. My heart is in the game. I love the feeling of standing on court and taking in the fans’ emotions. It gives me strength which is why I’ve come back.
"But what people expect of me no longer interests me. Those times are over. I knew I needed a few matches. In Indian Wells, I then saw that things were going in the right direction.
"It gave me confidence and made me optimistic about the future.”
Expanding on why she felt things came together at 'Tennis Paradise', she said: “Everything simply clicked.
"As I said before, after such a long break, you need time and patience. I knew full well that if I work hard then success will also come at some stage. That moment arrived in Indian Wells.
"I saw that I’m on the right track and that I can also beat top players again. It’s given me a lot of confidence.”
Having returned to tennis at the United Cup back in January, Kerber has since played four tournaments ahead of her appearance in Stuttgart.
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Collins comes through deciding-set battle with Kerber - Australian Open highlights
And she revealed how she has managed the transition to being a mother and travelling with her young daughter.
She said: “Patience isn’t really one of my strengths. But I knew that it would take a bit of time before I started playing well and getting back to my former level.
"I still love tennis, but I’m first and foremost a mother with my whole heart, and it’s a joy. There’s now a little person in my life that’s more important than tennis. It makes it easier to be patient.
“I’m so grateful that she [Liana] copes so well with the flights, time changes and the climate. She just gets on with it all.
"As a mother on tour, you have to be very flexible and spontaneous as you can’t plan everything weeks in advance.
"You can only take things day by day and you have to keep reorganising everything.”
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