New York: Angelique Kerber has shared how Steffi Graf’s well-wishes motivated her to win the US Open. At the Arthur Ashe Stadium on Saturday, Kerber defeated Karolina Pliskova 6-3 4-6 6-4 to win her second Grand Slam title of the year and survive a thrilling final.
The victory completes an incredible year for Kerber, who reached the Wimbledon final this summer, won her first major in January at the Australian Open, and will now hold the top spot in the world rankings.
In addition, she becomes the first German winner of the US Open since Graf in 1996. In recent years, Kerber and Graf have gotten closer, and at the conclusion of the previous season, they practiced together in Las Vegas.
In New York, the 28-year-old has paid it forward by winning and keeping two of Graf’s enduring records. Serena Williams, the American, would have surpassed Graf’s record of 22 Grand Slam victories during the Open era and her unbeaten run of 186 weeks at No. 1 if she had won. Rather, Williams and Graf continue to be tied on both.
In contact with Graf Kerber has maintained regular communication with Graf and reports that she texted her prior to her most recent achievement. “I used to watch a lot of her matches, and I recall that they were all quite quick. I remember it like this,” Kerber remarked.
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