SAP Coaches View: Kvitova Serves Notice In Zhuhai
Petra Kvitova powered her way to the final of the Huajin Securities WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai with the help of her dominating first serve – SAP Coaches View shows how she got it done.
Petra Kvitova powered her way to the final of the Huajin Securities WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai with the help of her dominating first serve – SAP Coaches View shows how she got it done.
Victoria Azarenka’s resurgence has been one of the top storylines of the 2016 season. Having started the season at No.22, Azarenka is back up to No.5 after compiling a 24-1 record and winning three of the biggest titles of the season, the BNP Paribas Open, Miami Open, and Brisbane International.
The sole blemish on her record came at the Australian Open, where she lost to eventual champion Angelique Kerber. Through the first four months of the season she sits at No.2 on the Road to Singapore leaderboard. In every way it’s been a near-flawless season so far for Vika.
But why and how? What’s changed aside from the general sense that she’s just playing better tennis this year?
With the help of SAP, we took a closer look at Azarenka’s key stats so far in 2016 and compared them with her historical year-over-year performance since 2008. As the numbers show, her efficiency has been off the charts.
Azarenka leads the tour in return games won
On its face, this is no surprise. Azarenka is one of the best returners in the game and so far in 2016 she has broken her opponent’s serve 54.3% of the time. In her peak years of 2012 and 2013, when she rose to No.1 and won back-to-back Australian Open titles, she finished each season as the tour leader in breaks. In 2012 she broke at a rate of 52.5% and she bettered that mark in 2013, breaking 54.8% of the time.
“I felt that I got stronger than I was before,” Azarenka said of her improved return game. “Definitely on my forehand side I’m able to create more angles, able to create more winners, and put a lot more pressure with that. I think that was one of the more visible improvements of my return.”
Since the WTA began tracking the stat in 2008, only two players have finished the season breaking in more than half of their return games. Azarenka did it twice in 2012 and 2013 and Sara Errani finished 2015 at 51.9%.
Azarenka’s serve has been the most effective on tour
The more interesting story comes after a closer look at Azarenka’s serving numbers. She has never been known for a particularly powerful serve but it’s clear the work she and her team have put into her serve has paid off, especially on second serve. Historically that has been a weaker shot for Azarenka, with her opponents aware that they would have their chances to break.
That hasn’t been the case in 2016. Azarenka leads the tour in service holds at 82.4%, outpacing the No.2 player on the list, Serena Williams, who has held 79.4% of the time. Azarenka’s current hold rate outpaces her previous career-best by over 7%. Her previous best came in 2012 when she held 75% of the time.
To be clear: Azarenka hasn’t morphed into an ace machine. In 23 matches she has hit 60 aces. By comparison, Serena Williams, Karolina Pliskova, Kristyna Pliskova, and Timea Babos have already eclipsed 100 aces on the season so far. But Azarenka has been going for more on her serve in general and taking more risk on her second serve. She already has 95 double faults (74 at WTA Tournaments), the second-most on tour. But her reaction to the rash of double faults has not been to pull back and go for less.
“I worked a lot on my serve to be able to create easier serving games and going for my shots, developing power speed, and now need to work a little bit more on accuracy,” she said earlier in the year.
“I think the serve percentage – I always had a pretty high first serve percentage,” Azarenka said at the Miami Open. “I think the difference is the way I’m using my serve. I’m going for a lot more; I take a lot more risk.”
Azarenka has been taking more risk but her serve has come through during clutch moments. Of her 74 double faults at WTA tournaments, 58 came when she was either ahead or neutral in the scoreline. Four times this year she has double faulted to hand a break away, twice at 30-40, once at 15-40, and once on her opponent’s advantage. Compare that to 2015, when during the same timespan she double-faulted 16 times.
“It’s been more rewarding in terms of winning percentage as opposed to making percentage of serves in,” she said. “If you compare to Australia it’s a big difference from Indian Wells and here. Really trying to work on it and make adjustments to use it more as a weapon. I think that’s been missing for a long, long time to really take my game to next level. I’m glad I have team around me to push me, to learn to trust myself, and really take that and improve it.”
The big question is whether Azarenka can hold these numbers on clay, where breaking serve is easier and holding serve is at a premium. Of her 20 career titles only one has come on clay. But that statistic may be misleading with respect to Azarenka’s prowess on the surface. Her last five losses on the red dirt have come to either Serena Williams or Maria Sharapova, the two best clay-court players of the last four years.
Azarenka returns to action at the Mutua Madrid Open, where she is a two-time finalist. Her French Open preparation continues at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia, where she made the final in 2013.
ZHUHAI, China – Huanjin Securities WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai Ambassador and 22-time Grand Slam champion Stefanie Graf had a front row seat to the rise of World No.1 Angelique Kerber.
“She would take little breaks in the year and come to Las Vegas to train and prepare herself,” she told WTA Insider during a media Q&A on Sunday. “I had a chance to watch and help a little but, but she’s the one doing the hard work. She’s the one showing that determination and commitment.
“I felt she always had the talent and the strengths; she’s been working hard. She just needed that one win to get her mindset changed to where she could start believing in herself. She was really able to do that in the last year or two, where she started realizing that she can beat top players. That belief really changed her game around; she’s been playing with a lot more confidence, and you can see that she’s a different player on the court. With each victory, it seemed like she got stronger and more comfortable with herself on the court.”
With Kerber leading a strong German contingent – one that already includes Julia Goerges, Andrea Petkovic, Sabine Lisicki, and Laura Siegemund – Graf is hopeful for a surge in national interest in the sport she once dominated.
“I think we’ve had such strong talent in Germany over the past few years; we had a lot of great players pushing each other. For her to push through has been really important for German tennis because where we’ve seen a lot of growth here, we’ve seen fewer tournaments in Germany where we used to be really strong.
“For her to have that success, and a lot of the other players being strong behind her, that should hopefully strengthen tennis in Germany and Europe again.”
Graf wouldn’t count out former No.1 Serena Williams, who matched her Grand Slam total this year at Wimbledon, as Kerber’s biggest challenge in 2017.
“With Serena, she’s definitely had a little bit of a harder year; she wasn’t able to play as many tournaments as she might have wished to be ready for the Grand Slams. But she’s too incredible of a player to be underestimated in the coming year.
“Consistency is what we’re all striving for on the court; it’s difficult with different surfaces, different time zones and different climates. It’s a long year in tennis.”
Serving as WTA Elite Trophy Ambassador at the end of the season proved to be an easy decision for Graf; the German had never before traveled to China and has thoroughly enjoyed taking in the sights throughout the region. She arrived late Friday night and was greeted by a throng of fans at her hotel, and has since participated in several clinics with junior players, a trip to the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge with Caroline Garcia, and the coin toss for the final between Petra Kvitova and Elina Svitolina.
“The desire has always been there to come visit China. I can say I’ve traveled the world, but there’s a few places I haven’t been but have the wish to go. I love to travel and experience different cultures. Tennis is such a great and growing sport in China; to be part of it, and hopefully help just a little bit bring the sport to our young talents, it’s a great opportunity.
“I do enjoy a coastline, and even having the possibility to drive around and get the chance yesterday to be playing a little bit of tennis on the longest bridge in the world. That was an incredible sight. The city has a lot of beautiful parts I’ve seen just by driving along, but also looking at little mountains and hills. We’ve enjoyed taking walks in the morning, jogging along the water and seeing people on early strolls of their own.
“You have so many possibilities here, so it seems like a vibrant city everyone can enjoy.”
Check out more quick hits from Graf on what she makes of the tournament, how tennis can continue growing in China, and even what she makes of new ATP World No.1 Andy Murray.
What an honor to meet & play with the Legend, Steffi Graff! And why not do it on the longest cross sea bridge in the World! #WTAEliteTrophy pic.twitter.com/LzFOGlqGtN
— Caroline Garcia (@CaroGarcia) November 6, 2016
On the Zhuhai venue…
I’m looking at an incredible facility right now. The center court couldn’t be nicer; I got a chance to play a little bit on the outside courts yesterday, and they play beautifully. In terms of the environment – from locker rooms, to physiotherapy to massages – I thought the organization has been exceptional. I feel there’s a strong passion for tennis here, and you can feel a high level excitement from everyone on the grounds. Everyone has been so accommodating and able to help whenever you have questions. There’s a really cute conversation card in the tournament transportation vehicle, where if a driver doesn’t completely understand you, there’s a list of different questions you could have in different languages. It’s all extremely well thought through. I’m sure all the other players will agree that the organization has been top notch.
On the city’s plan to further integrate tennis into the Zhuhai landscape…
I just learned quite a bit last night and this afternoon, sitting down with some of the CTA members, as well as the mayor and vice-mayor. Just from those discussions, it seems that there’s a lot of vision already in hand, where they’re already in the second and third stages of development. They’re talking about developing a tennis academy as well as increasing the amount of tennis played in schools. It seems that there’s a lot of planning going on. With the interest and passion that I’ve seen around this tournament, I believe that there’s going to be fast growth.
It seems that everyone is very enthusiastic about it. I think from what I hear, it’s still a very new sport, because for long periods, China couldn’t watch a lot of tennis on TV. The enthusiasm is there, and just seeing the growing tournaments over the last few years has been great. During my career, we didn’t have a big women’s tournament here, so the growth in this sector is clearly immense. So the industry and fans are here; I believe that from what has already been done that we all need to be on the lookout for even more growth.
On Andy Murray ascending to World No.1…
I didn’t even know until you told me just now! It happened last night, so I hadn’t caught the news. It’s the result of some incredible tennis that he’s been playing over the last few years, and so it’s well deserved. When you look at men’s tennis, the level has been so phenomenal for such a long time; it’s still a tight race with Djokovic, players like Federer and Nadal. It’s fascinating to watch men’s tennis with how close it is. How long will he be able to hold on? I don’t know, but I’ll be looking forward to seeing what next year will bring.
On the importance of consistency throughout a long season…
Consistency is what you strive for. It’s pretty difficult to achieve in the world of tennis. There are very few sports played all year long. In my career, it was an 11-11.5 month long season; now it’s gotten a little short, more like 10 months. But it’s really difficult to hold the highest level throughout the year. Ideally, you try to pace yourself through it, meaning you pick and choose your tournaments, and take time in between. With Angie, she did a fantastic job peaking at the big tournaments this year, with strong showings at the Grand Slam tournaments.
On the next generation of players…
I think it’s important for everyone to find their individual way, their presence, and their style. I think in terms of my style of play, it’s not around so much anymore with one-handed backhand slice, and keeping the ball low. That’s a very unusual thing; I think tennis has changed quite a bit through the last few generations. But the good thing is that everyone finds their own way to become who they are.
.@WTAEliteTrophy Ambassador Stefanie Graf was on hand for a fan activity and Media Q&A in Zhuhai pic.twitter.com/ndblZTBc5y
— WTA Insider (@WTA_insider) November 6, 2016
All photos courtesy of WTA Elite Trophy.
WTA Insider Senior Writer Courtney Nguyen recaps the emotional weekends in Stuttgart and Istanbul, which saw Angelique Kerber successfully defend her title at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix, beating surprise finalist Laura Siegemund in the first All-German final ever in Stuttgart. Over in Istanbul it was Cagla Buyukakcay who lifted the trophy at the Istanbul Cup to become the first woman from Turkey to win a WTA Title.
Hear from Kerber and Siegemund as they discuss their successful weeks in Stuttgart and what they expect for the rest of the clay season.
Kerber on transitioning to clay courts: Yes that’s for sure. A few years ago clay was not my favorite surface. But right now I had a great clay court season last year and now, I played well in Charleston and here to win on clay, it gives me confidence that my game is also good for the clay court. That’s why I’m looking forward to Madrid, Rome and of course Paris, where I can play good tennis and play well there.
On adjusting to the increased media attention: I’m trying to enjoy it. It’s nice to do something different. To get to know new people, to see something different, not always my day is practice. I can change a little bit my day plan. So I try to enjoy it. So it’s both of it. I enjoy it but I’m also getting used to it.
Siegemund on what she’s changed to her preparation: I always say it’s not one thing that I can name; it would be too easy to say that. I’ve changed a lot of things over the last years. You probably know I took my time off at the end of 2012 and through 2013; I was studying and really done with tennis, and I never thought I’d be back at this point. It just helped me gain a new perspective on professional sports in general. That was one thing that was important for me. I also earned a coaching license and I learned things there that I used for my own training. I changed things in my physical training, my nutrition. When I decided to stop, I felt the freedom to try new things, and I found things that really work for me and I think the combination of changes is what’s bringing the success now.
Siegemund on enjoying her victories: We took the time to celebrate each success I’ve had this year. It’s one of the things I really want to take time for, because that’s what you work for. If you have success, you should take a moment, enjoy it and then move on to the next task. For me, it’s maybe not as surprising as it is for other people, but things are starting to come together for me.
Siegemund on her new perspective: It’s not that I press a button and everything’s fine; you can never have that. So, there are moments when I really get tight and really want to win. But I manage much better now than before the break to play freely and to just enjoy the moment – whatever it brings, win or lose – and enjoy the game.
Siegemund on being the No.4 German and the Olympics: I wasn’t seeing myself on that list; I was always hoping for doubles, that I’d have a chance. But the criteria is so high, and the German criteria made it as if there was no way for me unless I won four Grand Slams in half a year – which is not possible! I have to admit that the Olympic Games would be a huge dream; I would feel very honored. I played the student’s Olympics during my time off in 2013; it was such an amazing experience, and so knowing the student’s Olympics, I would love to go to the Rio Olympics. I really have to have some more good results and really try to focus on that and keep the way I play up to really make it.
Subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or on any podcast app of your choice and reviews are always helpful, so if you like what you’ve heard so far, leave us one. You can also get new episode alerts by following us on Twitter @WTA_Insider.
It’s time to vote for October’s WTA Player of the Month!
Have a look at the nominees and cast your vote before Thursday at 11:59pm ET! The winner will be announced Friday, November 11.
October 2016 WTA Player Of The Month Finalists
Dominika Cibulkova: Cibulkova needed to win the Generali Ladies Linz to qualify for her debut appearance at the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global. The Slovak did just that, defeating Viktorija Golubic in straight sets in the final and clinching what became a winning berth in Singapore. From 0-2 down in round robin play, Cibulkova stunned 2014 finalist Simona Halep and outgutted Svetlana Kuznetsova in the semifinals before putting on a masterclass against World No.1 Angelique Kerber to win the biggest title of her career.
Angelique Kerber: Kerber didn’t walk away with the title in Singapore, but nonetheless impressed as she clinched the Year-End No.1 ranking. Undefeated in round robin play, she brushed aside defending champion Agnieszka Radwanska before falling to Cibulkova in a high-quality final.
Agnieszka Radwanska: The Pole ended another solid season with a Premier Mandatory title at the China Open, where she defeated Johanna Konta in the final. Playing to defend her Singapore crown, Radwanska put down a pair of quality wins in round robin play, ultimately bowing out to World No.1 Kerber in the semifinals.
2016 Winners
January: Angelique Kerber
February: Carla Suárez Navarro
March: Victoria Azarenka
April: Angelique Kerber
May: Garbiñe Muguruza
June: Serena Williams
July: Simona Halep
August: Monica Puig
September: Petra Kvitova
How it works:
Finalists are selected by wtatennis.com
Winner is then determined by a fan vote on wtatennis.com
MADRID, Spain – America’s Sloane Stephens won her first Premier Mandatory match of 2016 at the Mutua Madrid Open, recovering from a set down to defeat Brazilian No.1 Teliana Pereira, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2.
Watch live action from Madrid this week on WTA Live powered by TennisTV!
“It was a good match,” she said after the win. “She has a difficult game style, so she’s tough to play against. But I was happy to start playing better to get the win.”
Stephens has been one of the most impressive players of the season – capturing three titles in Auckland, Acapulco, and Charleston – but had stumbled in the opening hurdles of the Australian Open, BNP Paribas Open, and Miami Open. That dubious pattern was in danger of repeating for the 2013 Australian Open semifinalist, who dropped six straight games to lose the opening set from a double break advantage.
Undaunted, the American raced ahead by another double break in the second, and though Pereira clawed one back, Stephens duly served out the see-sawing second set, eventually engineering the win in just over two hours.
“I was just trying to make more balls than she was and just run around a lot,” she said with a laugh. “I needed to be really patient.”
Ranked just outside the Top 20, Stephens has gone on to win the title at every tournament in which she has won a match, but should face equally stiff opposition in the second round, as she next plays the winner of qualifier Patricia Maria Tig and Daria Kasatkina. The young Russian played Stephens in the quarterfinals of the Volvo Car Open, where she held a match point before falling in three sets.
“I still really haven’t fully adjusted to the time difference, so I’m ok. It’s like a 3 o’clock match for me right now!”
Earlier in the evening, French star Alizé Cornet outlasted a stirring challenge from Spain’s own Paula Badosa Gibert, who won the opening set before succumbing to a bilateral leg cramp early in the third, 2-6, 6-2, 2-2, ret. Born in Manhattan, Badosa Gibert moved back to Spain at the age of seven and won last year’s junior French Open title. For Cornet, the victory marks her first win on red clay this season, an important start towards defending the fourth round points she earned at Roland Garros nearly 12 months ago.
Of the other two seeds in action on Saturday, No.12 seed Elina Svitolina battled back to defeat Yanina Wickmayer, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4. No.15 seed Sara Errani wasn’t able to pull off the same Houdini act against the always dangerous Camila Giorgi, losing, 7-5, 7-5, to her countrywoman in one hour and 37 minutes. Ekaterina Makarova reunited with former doubles partner Elena Vesnina for the first time since Wimbledon, and put down a comprehensive 6-3, 6-4 singles win over Annika Beck; Christina McHale was equally emphatic over Anna-Lena Friedsam, 6-0, 6-4.
In doubles, No.5 seeds Caroline Garcia and Kristina Mladenovic won a 10th straight match in their first round over Anna-Lena Groenefeld and CoCo Vandeweghe, winning, 6-4, 7-5. Including their decisive Fed Cup win over the Netherlands, Garcia and Mladenovic haven’t lost a match since Miami, taking home titles in Charleston and Stuttgart – where they took out top seeds and Co-No.1s Martina Hingis and Sania Mirza – in back to back weeks. No.7 seeds Carla Suárez Navarro and Garbiñe Muguruza thrilled the home crowd with a 6-4, 7-6(4) win over Gabriela Dabrowski and Anastasia Rodionova, while Xu Yi-Fan and Zheng Saisai were three games into their first rounder with Kasatkina and Laura Siegemund when the Stuttgart runner-up was forced to retire due to dizziness.
STRASBOURG, France – World No.6 Karolina Pliskova will open the Czech Republic’s Fed Cup defense against Kristina Mladenovic on Saturday afternoon.
The draw, held at Maison de la Region and carried out by Paralympic wheelchair doubles champion Nicolas Peifer, contained few surprises, pairing Czech No.1 Pliskova and French No.2 Mladenovic in the first rubber, with Petra Kvitova and Caroline Garcia facing off in the second.
The Czechs have dominated the Fed Cup in recent years, lifting the trophy in four of the past five years. Is it a record that compares favorably with many of the other dominant sides in the competition’s history. Indeed, should Pliskova and Kvitova spearhead them to victory over a gifted French side, then they will cement their place alongside the great Australian and United States teams of years gone by.
In the 1960s and 1970s, the Australians reigned supreme, Margaret Court and company winning seven of the first 12 titles. This was followed by the golden age of American tennis, Chris Evert and Billie Jean King integral to a group that won the cup on seven consecutive occasions.
Check out photos from the draw for the #FedCupFinal on our Facebook page: https://t.co/ntiKRdmxNX pic.twitter.com/yG4Di4BL8e
— Fed Cup (@FedCup) November 11, 2016
Fast forward to the 21st century and Czech captain Petr Pala has forged another dynasty, founded on tremendous team spirit and no little talent. And even away from the fortresses of Prague and Ostrava, they are a formidable proposition.
Pliskova has enjoyed the best season of her career, winning a couple of titles and reaching the US Open final to cement a place in the Top 10. Despite being overtaken in the rankings by Pliskova, two-time Wimbledon champion Kvitova remains an integral cog, arriving in Strasbourg fresh from dominant victories at the big Asian events in Wuhan and Zhuhai. She will be further buoyed by her record against, Garcia, whom she has beaten in two of their three meetings.
The Czechs are not the only ones playing for a piece of history. French captain Amélie Mauresmo is aiming to follow in the footsteps of Court, King and Evert by winning the Fed Cup as both player and captain, and certainly has the players to spring an upset.
? Très contente d'être à Strasbourg pour la finale de #FedCup #TeamFranceTennis #J-2 pic.twitter.com/eJFSKuUadE
— Caroline Garcia (@CaroGarcia) November 10, 2016
Garcia has enjoyed a quietly impressive year on tour, titles in Strasbourg and Mallorca helping her close in on the Top 20. Alongside Mladenovic she enjoyed an even more impressive doubles campaign, highlighted by a memorable victory on home soil at Roland Garros, forging an understanding that could prove decisive should the tie reach the decisive doubles rubber on Sunday.
Pliskova and Garcia, who have split their two career encounters, will step out in front of an expected capacity crowd at the 6,077-seat Rhénus Sport indoor arena at 2pm.
STRASBOURG, France – Karolina Pliskova overcame France’s Kristina Mladenovic in the longest set in Fed Cup final history to give the Czech Republic the first victory, 6-3, 4-6, 16-14.
“I heard that it’s the longest one!” Pliskova told FedCup.com after the record-setting match. “I was just looking at the score and just counting the games and we were still continuing.
“Unbelievable match from both of us. My tennis was maybe not 100 percent, but it still counts as a win. Really happy that we got the first point.”
Walking into the first rubber of the 2016 Fed Cup final, Pliskova and Mladenovic’s head-to-head record was split at one win apiece and the pair had to set their long friendship aside in hopes of giving their team the early advantage.
Watch how Karolina Pliskova won the first set in the first rubber of the 2016 #FedCupFinal! pic.twitter.com/2IV046sEFk
— Fed Cup (@FedCup) 12 de noviembre de 2016
Mladenovic suffered a break of serve in the nerving opening game, misfiring a backhand and later double faulting to hand Pliskova the first lead. The surface seemed to suit Pliskova as well, as the Czech enjoyed the high bounce of the court at the Rhenus Sport Arena to wreak havoc with her big serve.
After Mladenovic leveled the set at 3-3, Pliskova found another gear and dropped just one point on her serve as she broke twice to take the first set 6-3.
The Frenchwoman had the home crowd roaring as she charged back in the second set. Mladenovic earned the first break at 4-3, and then weathered two consecutive breaks to emerge with the edge and the set.
Pliskova wrestled the momentum away as she quickly climbed to a 5-2 lead in the final set. Mladenovic was two points away from losing the match as Pliskova continued to hammer her vulnerable second serve and run her around the court, but she fended off the assault to claw her way back into the match and get back on serve.
With her back against the wall, Mladenovic rallied the French crowd and kept herself in the match time and time again and, with no final set tiebreak in Fed Cup, the match continued. Mladenovic fought past fatigue and cramping – and saved two match points with a gutsy dropshot and a zinging crosscourt backhand – to hold for 9-9, but the final set was barely getting started.
WHAT A THRILLER! ?@KaPliskova edges Mladenovic 6-3, 4-6, 16-14!
Gives Czech Republic a 1-0 lead over France! #FedCupFinal pic.twitter.com/qp1KRJjcyJ
— WTA (@WTA) 12 de noviembre de 2016
Pliskova stayed cool despite it all, trading breaks at 12-12 as the pair broke the Fed Cup final record for longest set ever played. After a monumental three hours and forty-eight minutes (two hours and 23 minutes in the final set), Mladenovic finally blinked in the last game, being broken to love to but an end to the thrilling match and hand the Czech Republic a vital 1-0 lead.
“I feel fresh, actually! But no it’s my longest match that I’ve played ever, so I’m really happy with the way I ended,” Pliskova laughed afterwards, speaking to FedCup.com.
“I was really waiting for my chance. And she was serving so well in the third set that I didn’t really have that many chances. I’m just happy with the win.”
– All photos courtesy of Getty Images
Monica Puig’s unlikely run to winning Puerto Rico’s first Olympic gold medal inspired the world, and now she’s received the ANOC Award for Best Female Athlete at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.
Being World No.1 certainly has its perks. Angelique Kerber capped a career-best season with a once-in-a-lifetime selfie with US President Barack Obama.
Kerber tweeted about meeting the 44th President of the United States:
A dream come true!! What an honour to meet President Obama for lunch today. pic.twitter.com/0AU6HUeuqV
— Angelique Kerber (@AngeliqueKerber) November 17, 2016
It’s already been a busy off-season for Kerber, who won a pair of Grand Slam titles at the Australian Open and US Open, and reached the final of the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global. The year-end No.1 also held a kid’s clinic, giving advice to the next generation of players:
the next tennis generation is really cute ? pic.twitter.com/6c1xTyzkAI
— Angelique Kerber (@AngeliqueKerber) November 16, 2016