The 2016 US Open champion Angelique Kerber will not participate in this year’s edition of the tournament as she is pregnant. The German announced the happy news on social media and added that she plans to return to court early next year.
“I really wanted to play the US Open, but in the end, I decided that two against one wouldn’t be a fair match”, joked Angelique Kerber, adding a baby emoji and a heart to her post. “In the coming months I will be taking time off from traveling around the world to play tennis, but I believe this is the best reason I can do it. I will miss you all. New York has always been a turning point for my career and I think this year is no different. It’s where I restarted my career in 2011, where I won the title in 2016 and became world No. 1. The US Open will always have a special place in my heart and I wanted to say goodbye to all of you on the court before I leave the tour for a while. Being a professional athlete is everything to me, but I’m grateful to be taking a new path. I’m nervous and excited at the same time. Thanks to everyone for your support, it means everything to me”, added the 34-year-old German.
Angelique Kerber, a former world number one, Wimbledon and Australian and US Open champion, has not played in the tournament since July this year when she crashed out in the third round at Wimbledon. In her career, the German also has a silver medal from the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.
