FILE PHOTO: Tennis – Wimbledon – All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, London, Britain – July 3, 2022 Germany’s Angelique Kerber is seen during centre court centenary celebrations REUTERS/Hannah Mckay
Former world number one Angelique Kerber is pregnant and will skip the U.S. Open, which starts in New York on Monday, the three-time Grand Slam winner from Germany said.
The left-handed Kerber, 34, last played at Wimbledon where she lost in the third round to Belgium’s Elise Mertens.
She won her maiden Grand Slam at the Australian Open in 2016 before lifting the U.S. Open the same year to climb to the top of the women’s world rankings.
Two years later she won the grasscourt major at the All England Club for her third major title.
Being a professional athlete means everything to me but I’m grateful for the new path I’m heading to. To be honest, I’m nervous and excited at the same time. Thanks for your continued support – it means everything to me ❤️🙏🏼❤️ #TeamAngie
— Angelique Kerber (@AngeliqueKerber) August 24, 2022
“I really wanted to play the @usopen but eventually I decided that two against one just isn’t a fair competition,” Kerber said in a cheeky post on Twitter on Wednesday.
“For the next months, I will take a break from traveling the globe as a tennis player but then again, I believe it’s for the best possible reason! I will miss all of you.”