Porsche Tennis Grand Prix: Angelique Kerber is hot for the matches
For Angelique Kerber , German number one and Porsche brand ambassador, the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix is all about match practice.
by PM
last edit: Apr 14, 2021, 02:40 pm
Angelique Kerber has already won the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix twice. She's not only looking forward to returning to Stuttgart because of her successes in 2015 and 2016. “We players love this tournament. For us it is something like an oasis of well-being on the WTA Tour, "says the Kiel native, who has many memories with her appearances in the Porsche Arena:" This tournament has practically accompanied me through my career. I was able to gain a lot of important experience that helped me further. Even if I lost, I learned from it. "
Your start into the tennis year 2021 was rather bumpy. Not least because of Corona, she had a long preparation time for the Australian Open, and she made good use of it. But no sooner had she landed in Melbourne with a lot of confidence in her luggage than she had to be in strict quarantine for two weeks because a passenger on her flight tested positive. Not only was the first Grand Slam tournament of the year over for them. “The quarantine set me back two months,” she said and is happy that she is now back on the right track: “Already at the tournament in Miami I felt that my fitness was back and that the feeling for my game was also back. "
Kerber needs a lot of matches
It is not easy for the Porsche brand ambassador to get back on track after the difficult start to the season. She played only a few tournaments in the past year, partly because of minor injuries, but also because many tournaments did not take place due to Corona. She still lacks the match practice that she missed as a result. "No matter how well you train - the matches at the tournaments are something completely different," she says. “I'm a player who needs a lot of matches and tournaments. So it was more difficult for me this season to find my rhythm. "
The pandemic also determines everyday life on the WTA Tour. Life in the corona bubble is a problem for many players. But Angelique Kerber does not want to complain. “Compared to most people who have to accept a lot of restrictions in their daily life, we professional players are in a very privileged situation. At least we can do our job, ”she says. "We are lucky that there are organizers who are committed and passionate about organizing a tournament even in these times of crisis."
Seven players from the top ten in Stuttgart
At the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix from April 17th to 25th, the top stars will be hand in hand. Seven players from the top 10 of the world rankings will serve in the Porsche Arena, a total of 14 from the top 20. Angelique Kerber sees such an elite field as a challenge. "For me, strong opponents are always an additional motivation," she says. In her first win in Stuttgart in 2015, she faced the then number 1 Caroline Wozniacki in the final. The memory of her first major success has not yet faded. “When you win such a great tournament for the first time, you never forget it. Especially because the final against Caroline was a real thriller, ”she says. In the third set she was behind before she managed to turn the match around with the loud support of the audience. She also has fond memories of her second success in the Porsche Arena, in 2016 against Laura Siegemund. “She played a fantastic tournament, made it to the final as a qualifier, where I had all the pressure as the favorite. That was also an important experience in my career. "
Angelique Kerber wants to play as many matches as possible in the Porsche Arena and thus find her way back to her old form in order to be ready for further challenges. "In the next few weeks there are important tournaments that I'm looking forward to," she says. What does she miss most as a tennis player in times of Corona? "Clearly the fans," she says. “It has always motivated me most to go out onto the pitch, do my best and experience the fans who are happy for me, who cheer me on and keep their fingers crossed for me. For me, that's one of the best things about my job. "
Porsche in tennis
Porsche has been sponsoring the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix since 1978, and has also been the organizer since 2002. The tournament in the Stuttgart Porsche Arena was once again voted the world's most popular in its category by the players in 2019. As part of its global partnership with the Women's Tennis Association (WTA), Porsche is, among other things, title partner of the “Porsche Race to Shenzhen”, the official qualification ranking for the Shiseido WTA Finals. The Stuttgart sports car manufacturer is also the exclusive automobile partner of the WTA and the WTA Finals and this year sponsor of the WTA tournaments in Lyon and St. Petersburg. As a premium partner of the German Tennis Association (DTB), the company supports the Porsche Team Germany in the Billie Jean King Cup (formerly Fed Cup) and is involved in promoting young talent with the Porsche Talent Team and the Porsche Junior Team. As brand ambassadors, Angelique Kerber, Julia Görges and Maria Sharapova give Porsche a face in tennis.