Like a few of her peers, Kerber, who turns 28 in January, heads into 2016 with surprising speed toward the latter stages of her prime. I say “surprising” because in some ways it feels like she’s just getting started.
The German was a late-bloomer; she only came to people’s attention in 2011, when she reached the US Open semifinals at 23. And she’s only now getting the hang of winning tournaments. Before last year, Kerber had won three; in 2015, she won four—on hard, clay and grass courts—and finished in the Top 10 for the fourth consecutive year.
Late start or not, Kerber has found her niche among the game’s best. For now, she’s the queen of the mid-level event. She won 53 matches in 2015—the same number as Serena Williams—but went only 6–4 at the Grand Slams and didn’t make it past the third round at any of them.
Kerber is an athletic, versatile player with a knack for homespun improvisation, and her defensive style is well suited to grinding down erratic, lower-ranked opponents. But it’s not as effective against players who can hit winners on a consistent basis and punish her lollipop second serve.
After a shaky 2014, Kerber regained her old confidence when she reconnected with former coach Torben Beltz, and even took a step forward. Their next step in 2016 is to get her to peak for the majors.
Three years ago, Simona Halep won six titles and expectations rose. Winning became a habit for her, and it could be the same situation this season for Kerber, who isn’t settling for late-round losses any longer.
Whatever success she’s had, Kerber always seems to be a couple of errors away from descending into a sarcastic funk. During a match, one lost game can turn to three, and during a season her hot streaks can turn very cold. At some point, the 28-year-old won’t be able to get every ball back.
Kerber knows how to succeed at the smaller tournaments; now she needs to sustain her athletic level of play at the bigger events.
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