Angelique Kerber ready for ‘another dance’ after stunning Paris 2024 win

Angelique Kerber admits she is looking forward to “another dance” after starting the final tournament of her career with an epic win.
The 36-year-old confirmed before the tournament that the Olympics would be the final tournament of her career, after winning three major titles and rising to the world No 1 ranking.
And, in a blockbuster round one contest against fellow Grand Slam champion and former No 1 Naomi Osaka, the German upset the odds to reach round two.
Kerber was broken just once and broke her opponent four times on Court Philippe Chatrier, prevailing 7-5, 6-3 to extend her singles career by at least one more match.
“To win a match like this against Naomi, who is such a great champion – that means a lot, especially because it’s my last tournament. It shows me that I can still beat the top players,” Kerber said, in quotes reported by ESPN.
“I just tried to enjoy every moment. I’m just looking forward to having another dance.”
Victory in round one continues Kerber’s impressive Olympic record, with two impressive displays on her record from the greatest sporting show on earth.
She is probably most remembered in Olympic terms for her run to the silver medal at the Rio 2016 Games, but she was also a quarter-finalist back at London 2012.
Having upset the odds to beat Osaka, all eyes will now be on how far Kerber can go in the singles draw.
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The winner of her match against the Japanese was set to face third seed Elena Rybakina, but with the Kazakh withdrawing Kerber faces Jaqueline Cristian in round two – after the Romanian beat Caroline Garcia in three sets.
Kerber is also in women’s doubles action alongside Laura Siegemund, the German duo up against Katie Boulter and Heather Watson of Great Britain.
Paris 2024 will prove to be the final chapter of a truly epic career for the former world No 1, who is surely a lock for the International Tennis Hall of Fame post-retirement.
She spent 34 weeks as the world No 1 and won three Grand Slam titles, beating Serena Williams to win the 2016 US Open and 2018 Wimbledon titles, and Karolina Pliskova in the US Open final.
Kerber remains the last woman to win the Australian and US Open in the same season and also reached the Wimbledon final in 2016 – losing to Serena.
“Paris 2024 will mark the finish line of the most incredible journey I could have ever dreamed of growing up with a racket in my hand,” she wrote earlier this week.
“There are many more things I want to say and people to thank, which I will do once I completed my last match…but for now, I will take the time and soak up every second of this final episode on court.
“Thank you all for your support – it means the world to me.”