Angelique Kerber, who will be No. 1 in the world if she wins the title in Cincinnati, says she is concentrating on winning matches rather than her ranking.
"It's really an incredible year for me,” she told ESPN in a courtside interview. “I won my first Grand Slam, I reached the final of Wimbledon, I won a medal. So a lot of things change. Of course, everybody's talking about No. 1, but it's still a few matches away from that. And I still [am] trying to not [think] about this."
The 28-year-old German’s success this season has put her within striking distance of world No. 1 Serena Williams, who is not defending her title in Cincinnati. But Kerber said that, regardless of the ranking, she’s happy to be playing and succeeding at the top of the game.
"I'm trying to enjoy my tennis, because it's the best time of my career right now," she said. "It feels amazing because now I'm seeing that all the hard work [is paying off]. That's the moments for which I'm dreaming ... Playing the best players in the world, taking my chances, living my dream. I'm really happy I can do it."
Kerber's current No. 2 ranking is a career-high.