It is 12 months since Angelique Kerber won Wimbledon for the first time, a victory she celebrated by dancing alongside Novak Djokovic at the evening Champions’ Dinner. She has not won a title since but there is nothing like returning to a place where you’ve done well before to put a bit of extra spring in the step.
“I think it’s completely different here because you’re coming back as a member the first time, so it’s really special for me,” said Kerber, whose win denied Serena Williams what would have been a record-equalling 24th grand slam singles title. “A lot of emotions and a lot of memories from last year, of course. It’s nice being back on this special place here for me. It’s a completely new year. Everything starts from zero. It is great to be back, but for me right now it’s [about] focusing on my first round, on the tournament. And of course, trying to enjoy every moment on and off court.”
Winners at Wimbledon are given honorary membership of the All England Club, a tradition which allows the player to come back at any time throughout the year, to practice or simply enjoy the fact that they can revisit the scene of their triumph. For the 31-year-old Kerber, who grew up watching and idolising Steffi Graf, Wimbledon has always been a special place and having lost to Williams in the final in 2016, she took her chance with a superb display 12 months ago, a win that made her the first German to win the singles title since Graf in 1996.
Seeded fifth this year, Kerber could find herself up against Williams again, the two players scheduled to meet in the quarter‑finals, if the seedings go to plan. In a section containing top seed Ashleigh Barty, the French Open champion, the former Wimbledon champions Garbiñe Muguruza and Maria Sharapova plus Belinda Bencic and Donna Vekic, nothing can be taken for granted, so it’s probably just as well that Kerber is one of those players who tends to pay little attention to the draw. With one exception. “Right now [it’s] the first round that’s important,” she said. “What’s in the second, third, fourth, whatever, it doesn’t matter right now. Everything can happen, especially in the grand slams. We will see. I just know Serena is there. Heard it all the time already. The first round is the important one.”
Kerber’s win here 12 months ago was masterminded by her then coach, Wim Fissette, whose attention to detail and meticulous nature has helped inspire many players to grand slam glory, including Victoria Azarenka and Kim Clijsters. The pair seemed to be the perfect fit, so it was a surprise when the left-handed Kerber announced that they were splitting late last year.
Rainer Schüttler, a former world No 5, was an equal surprise as his replacement but though the big win has been lacking, there have been signs that a fourth grand slam win could be around the corner. The runner-up in Indian Wells earlier this year, Kerber reached the final in Eastbourne on Saturday, losing to Karolina Pliskova, so her form is there. And since she knows how to get things done at Wimbledon, she has a confidence that few others can boast.
“The draw is really open and the young players are coming,” she said “[But] I think that Wimbledon is more [about being] mentally [strong] and also experience [is key], playing a lot of matches, playing on grass, which is completely different to the other surfaces. Here you feel a completely different energy. When you come here, you have pressure, the nerves are much higher than usual. For me every year I’m coming back, I feel you’re getting nervous when you coming here. You really would like to play your best tennis.”
An outstanding athlete and renowned counter-puncher, Kerber can be vulnerable against the harder hitters. But she knows that if she plays well, it is hard to knock her off the court and any mistakes almost count double against someone of her consistency. “I’m feeling good,” she said. “I played good matches against good opponents. I get my rhythm back, the match rhythm.”
Having arrived late from Eastbourne, Kerber will have to adjust quickly, but she will do her thing and get herself ready for her first-round opponent, her compatriot Tatjana Maria, another 31-year‑old and, like Williams, one of the mothers on Tour.
The pair have never played each other but if Kerber has a bad moment on court, then perhaps she will cast her mind back to the way she played against Williams in last year’s final. “Holding the trophy up – I think this is the moment [I remember], when I’m looking back to last year where I played the amazing final,” she said. “This is for me the Wimbledon moment.”