In a seminal essay on women’s tennis, written in 1988, the year of Angelique Kerber’s birth, the novelist Martin Amis reckoned Steffi Graf was “something unbelievable on the tennis court, a miracle of speed, balance and intense athleticism. She looks like a skater but she moves like a puck”.
Those words proved to be a near‑perfect fit description of Kerber’s deft 6-3, 6-3 dissection of Serena Williams. There were certainly several miracles of speed as she chased down shot after shot, forcing the American into numerous errors, as she became the first German to win a Wimbledon singles title since Graf in 1996.
Graf was Kerber’s hero when she was growing up in Bremen. Since then the pair have become confidants who enjoy a glass of wine and a game of backgammon together, as well as being occasional practice partners. And Kerber also credits Graf with giving her the mental belief in 2015 that she could be a grand slam winner.
Since then Kerber has won the Australian and US Open. But she admitted that defeating Williams, a 23-times grand slam winner, was something else. “My first memories were of watching Steffi here, winning all the matches,” she said, smiling. “I remember when I was watching her, that everybody was playing in white on the grass court.
“But this is just amazing. I cannot describe this feeling because when I was a kid I was always dreaming for this moment. To win Wimbledon, it’s something really special.”
For Williams’s previous six opponents it was honour enough to be on court on her. Kerber, though, believed she could beat her. But she admitted there was some nervy moments, particularly at the end. “I knew that I have to take my first chance because you never know with Serena,” she said. “She is always fighting until the last point.”
