Former world No. 1 Angelique Kerber knows the pressure of starting a new season as the player everyone wants to beat, but she is confident that Ashleigh Barty can meet the challenge.
The Australian had a breakout year last year, winning the French Open along with the prestigious WTA Finals, at which she cemented her place at the top of the year-end rankings.
Both Kerber and Barty, along with former world No. 1 Naomi Osaka, begin their campaigns for this year at the Brisbane International tomorrow.
Photo: AFP
“She’s always a tough opponent. She’s such a great player, a great person as well, and I’m really happy for her that she reached the No. 1 spot,” the German said of Barty. “She put a lot of effort in and she worked hard. It’s always a tougher year to start as the No. 1 player, but I think she will deal with that situation.”
Kerber knows well the perils of battling to back up a breakthrough season. After winning Grand Slams in 2016 and 2018, she struggled to emulate her results.
“I was really trying to enjoy, but you really have to schedule your day a bit different than if you were No. 20 or No. 30 in the world,” she said. “You have to improve every single tournament, every year, because even if you win a Grand Slam, everyone is looking to beat you.”
However, she is confident that the level-headed Barty has what it takes to handle the expectations of her home fans and the extra off-court workload that comes with being the best player.
“It’s for sure completely different — she has all the pressure, all the expectations, especially here in Australia,” Kerber said. “I know her and also her team. She played so well and I’m really sure she’ll continue to play how she played, particularly at the end of last year.”
Since finishing 2016 as world No. 1 after winning the Australian and US Opens, Kerber slipped to No. 21 the following year and then climbed back to No. 2 when she won Wimbledon in 2018.
“I was really looking forward to 2019 being over and we are 2020 now, so I’m really looking forward to starting again,” she said.
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