What a performance: Angelique Kerber’s incredible journey at the Olympic Games in Paris went all the way to the quarterfinals. On Roland Garros’s clay courts, the Porsche Brand Ambassador thrilled the crowds and her fans from all over the world with her magnificent tennis. On Wednesday, she again played a memorable match against the Chinese world No. 7 and Australian Open runner-up Qinwen Zheng. She once again left her heart on the court and was only defeated after over three hours in a third set tie-break. It was the fitting end to a unique career. “I’ve achieved everything I ever dreamed of. And I’m extremely proud,” she said. “Now is exactly the right moment to retire. I loved the atmosphere in Paris. They are the emotions for which I came back. I’ll never forget the match.”
A farewell made public
It was a farewell that had been made public in the lead-up to the Olympic tennis tournament when Angelique Kerber announced on Instagram that she was going to retire – full of conviction at making the right decision “even though it will never feel that way. Simply because I love the sport with all my heart and I’m thankful for the memories and opportunities it has given me.“
Angelique Kerber is the most successful German tennis player in recent years. She was a late bloomer and always had to fight hard for her successes. Her steadfast belief in herself and her strengths helped. “To be successful, you need discipline and patience, but also passion and fun,” said the 36-year-old when talking about her credo. “You have to get back up again after defeats and continue down one’s path for without defeats, you can’t have success.”
Super season in 2016 when winning 63 matches
It was not always easy for her to handle people’s expectations. Especially not after her super season in 2016 when she climbed to the top of the world rankings with unbelievable energy and fervour – the first German to do so since Steffi Graf in 1997. It was the year in which she celebrated her first career Grand Slam wins in Melbourne and New York. She was the runner-up at Wimbledon, the Olympic Games in Rio and the WTA Finals in Singapore. She won an incredible 63 matches and was named WTA Player of the Year.
Out of the low that she had fallen into after a highly turbulent season, she fought her way back in her accustomed manner. By beating Serena Williams in the Wimbledon final, she duly fulfilled her big tennis dream in 2018.
Angelique Kerber made her debut as a professional at the age of 15 in 2003. She eventually made her big breakthrough in 2011 when, unseeded, she reached the semifinal of the US Open – the first German to achieve the feat for 15 years. In February 2012, she claimed her first title on the WTA Tour at the indoor tournament in Paris. By now at the latest, she was prepared to take on responsibility – with success as she led Porsche Team Germany to the 2014 Fed Cup final in her role as the No. 1.
Special relationship with Porsche and the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix
Angelique Kerber enjoyed a quite special relationship with Porsche and the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix. In 2015, the Brand Ambassador of the sports car manufacturer celebrated the title win at the world class tournament in Stuttgart where she had made her first appearance as a qualifier in 2005. She then secured her second triumph at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in 2016. As the ambassador of the Porsche supported new grass court tournament in Bad Homburg, Germany, she not only took a look behind the scenes of the organisation, she also won the premiere in the Kurpark venue. In total, she claimed 14 career WTA titles – the last came in Strasbourg in 2022.
Her daughter Liana was born in February 2023. She returned to the game in Australia in January 2024 and won the prestigious United Cup with Germany. Her first tournament on home soil was the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in April the same year. Even then she made no secret that the priorities in her life had changed. “I still love tennis,” she said, “but first and foremost, I’m a mother with my whole heart and it’s a real joy. There’s a little person in my life that is far more important than tennis.”
The Olympic Games in Paris was her last big goal as a sportswoman. She is now ready for a new life.
“A role model for young people far beyond the realms of sport”
“We would like to congratulate Angelique Kerber on her unique career,” said Oliver Blume, CEO of Porsche AG, when speaking about her retirement. “She is one of the most successful German sportswomen. With her personality, her irrepressible will and her wholeheartedness, she is a role model for young people far beyond the realms of sport.”
Porsche in Tennis
The Porsche Tennis Grand Prix is the flagship of Porsche’s worldwide involvement in women’s tennis. First played in Filderstadt in 1978, the long-standing Stuttgart tournament has been held in the city’s Porsche Arena since 2006. It stands for tradition and innovation, as does the Porsche brand. As the most loyal sponsor of women’s international tennis, Porsche has accompanied the WTA’s oldest indoor event right from the start. Together with its subsidiaries, the sports car manufacturer will to date be the automotive partner of the WTA tournaments in Cluj-Napoca (Romania) and Bastad (Sweden). Angelique Kerber and Emma Raducanu give Porsche a face in tennis as Brand Ambassadors. Jule Niemeier, Maria Sakkari, Karolina Muchova, Anett Kontaveit and Iga Swiatek are additionally “Friends of the Brand” in their home countries. As a premium partner of the “Deutsche Tennis Bund” (DTB – German Tennis Association), the company has been supporting Porsche Team Germany in the Billie Jean King Cup since 2012 and fosters up-and-coming players in the Porsche Talent Team and the Porsche Junior Team.
