"I'm relieved, it's still the right decision" - Angelique Kerber addresses retirement talks amid stellar run at Paris Olympics 2024
Angelique Kerber’s swan song at the Paris Olympics is turning into quite a story. The German, who will retire from the sport at the end of the tournament, has beaten Naomi Osaka, Jaqueline Cristian and Leylah Fernandez to make the quarterfinals.
Her run has given way to murmurs over whether she would reconsider calling time on career, given how well she has played over the last few days.
Kerber, however, remains steadfast in her decision, saying she still believes that it was the right decision to end her career after the Paris Olympics. Speaking in her latest interview with Sportschau, the German said she was looking to enjoy every moment that she has left on court before expressing hope of extending her run in the French capital further.
“I’m relieved with the decision. I think it’s still the right decision,” Angelique Kerber said. “I feel good. And here I enjoy every moment on the court, off the court.”
“The fans, the spectators, the atmosphere is also incredible on the court. That's precisely why I came back, to feel these emotions. And here I am, here I am in the quarter-finals and I hope the journey continues a little bit more,” she added.
Kerber said she had come back after her maternity leave to experience the joy of being out on court one more time.
“I came back to experience these emotions,” Angelique Kerber said.
Notably, the German announced her pregnancy at the back end of 2022 and did not play until the start of this year. During her time away from the court, the three-time Grand Slam champion gave birth to a daughter, Liana, in 2023.
"It’s not easy" - Angelique Kerber on adapting to the conditions at the Paris Olympics
Angelique Kerber also spoke of the difficult conditions at the Paris Olympics after her win over Leylah Fernandez, saying the heat really bothered her.
The former World No. 1 said she focused hard on trying to be aggressive and on her return before expressing satisfaction at having been able to come through in straight sets.
“It’s not easy,” Angelique Kerber said to Sportschau. “The weather conditions are a bit more difficult today. It's incredibly hot on the court, but in the end I just tried to concentrate on myself, I tried to play aggressively, I tried to wait for my chances to win the match.”
“I also returned well today. I think we are both more return players and we tried to break the player from that side after our service games, which we then lost. And of course, in the end it paid off more for me. I am incredibly happy that the match went in my favour in two sets,” she added.
Kerber will next take on Barbora Krejcikova in a battle of two multi-time Grand Slam champions. The recently crowned Wimbledon champ beat Elina Svitolina in a three-set marathon to book her spot in the quarterfinals.