Angelique Kerber is working with her ex-coach Torben Beltz to prepare for a January 2024 comeback to the WTA Tour. The former world No.1, who gave birth to a baby girl Liana in February, plans to play two tournaments before entering the Australian Open, which she won in 2016.
The Australian Open is set to welcome two Grand Slam champion moms back, as Kerber joins Naomi Osaka’s comeback plans for the start of the new season. According to Bild, the 35-year-old Kerber is practicing with her former long-time coach Beltz at the Angie Kerber Tennis Academy in Puszczykowo, Poland.
After the recent retirement of Estonian Anett Kontaveit, Beltz was left without a job. He had previously coached Emma Raducanu for five months. The reunion with Kerber seemed like a natural course of events. “I was on the road without a coach before my baby break, but it’s clear that I need a coach for my comeback,” the German who reached the No.1 ranking under the guidance of Beltz said recently.
Kerber is looking up to Caroline Wozniacki’s successful pregnancy comeback. The two are constantly in contact, sharing their experiences as moms and tennis players.
The last tournament Kerber played was Wimbledon 2022. She announced pregnancy while withdrawing from the following major, saying: “I really wanted to play the US Open, but eventually I decided that two against one just isn‘t a fair competition.”
