The WTA professional tennis circuit is getting through a strange time of its existence having the world no. 1 occupant unable to confirm its status. Angelique Kerber had a tremendous year back in 2016 being the only one able to question Serena Williams' dominance. But, once she outclassed the American so did her performance on the tennis court. For the 29-year-old German, the lack of luster became a genuine issue during the clay court swing. With not a single work-mentioning achievement during this period, Kerber will try to undo this situation at the french open.
It won't be easy for Kerber as she never got past the last 8 stages. After all, it's the only Grand Slam where she never reached the final.
French Open was a road opener for Angelique Kerber
A decade ago, while struggling to earn a higher spot in the ranking, Angelique Kerber had her first appearance in a Grand Slam's main draw. It was the 2007 French Open when she got that first round presence in a Major. Her best result at Roland Garros occurred back in 2012 when she made it to the quarterfinals. Last year, as the world no. 2 and Australian Open champion, Kerber suffered a huge upset in the opening round being defeated by Kiki Bertens from Netherland. While Kerber walked away in defeat, Kerber went on reaching the semifinals.
That early exit means that the world no. 1 won't have to worry about her ranking points. Even more, every extra round she gets in Paris will add some extra points under her belt. It's perhaps the only good news judging how hard the future looks. The grass season and the outdoor hard is where her game must elevate in order to defend her slot.
Whether is about the Wimbledon or the US Open Series, Kerber had quite a summer back in 2016.
Kerber's struggle has spread all over the year
Back in 2016, Kerber did a perfect job on every surface except for the clay court. It was the title in Stuttgart (indoor clay) saving her clay season. In 2017, her game was a bit off from the beginning having won not a single title during the first three months of the season.
And it was all about playing on hardcourt, her favorite surface. She reached a single WTA final in Monterrey losing it to Pavlyuchenkova. Translated in numbers, Angelique Kerber's season means 11 WTA tournaments played, not a single title won and a balance of 19 to 12 in win/loss department. It would be interesting to see whether or not she'll have a reset in Paris knowing how big the stakes are.
