According to D’Arcy Maine of ESPN on Wednesday, three-time grand slam tennis champion Angelique Kerber of Bremen, Germany will miss the 2022 United States Open because she is pregnant. Kerber is 34 years old and is expecting her first child.
Kerber previously won the 2016 Australian Open, the 2016 United States Open, and 2018 Wimbledon. The 2016 Australian Open final had Kerber beat Serena Williams of the United States in a 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 win. The 2016 United States Open final had Kerber beat Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic in a 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 win. The 2018 Wimbledon final had Kerber beat Williams 6-3, 6-3. Interestingly, Kerber is the last player to win two grand slam singles titles in women’s tennis in the same calendar year.
So far in 2022, Kerber won her 14th WTA title. She defeated Kaja Juvan of Slovenia 7-6, 6-7, 7-6 in the final of the Internationaux de Strasbourg in France on clay this past May leading up to the French Open.
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Kerber is hopeful of returning to women’s tennis as a mother. Among the tennis players who are mothers and are on the WTA Tour at the moment are 23-time major champion Serena Williams of the United States, 2012 and 2013 Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka of Belarus, Taylor Townsend of the United States, 2010 Wimbledon and United States Open finalist Vera Zvonareva of Russia, and 2022 Wimbledon semifinalist Tatjana Maria of Germany.
One tennis superstar has had success while expecting. Serena Williams won the 2017 Australian Open while pregnant with her daughter Olympia. She defeated her older sister Venus Williams of the United States 6-4, 6-4 for her 23rd grand slam title.
The announcement of Kerber’s withdrawal from the final major of the year comes after the announcements of the withdrawals of Gael Monfils of France (foot), Alexander Zverev of Germany (ankle), and Reilly Opelka of the United States. Opelka has not yet given a reason for his withdrawal.
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