After her injury break Angelique Kerber returns to the WTA Tour at the Premier Tournament in Rome starting on Sunday (13 to 20 May). After her thigh wrestling in Stuttgart she had cancelled her start at the current Mutua Madrid Open.
Kerber was already on his way to the eternal city on Thursday. “Her injury has healed, she can start in Rome,” confirmed her manager Aljoscha Thron tennisnet.com. The 30-year-old had used the past few days to prepare together with her coach Wim Fissette in Poland for the remaining two clay court tournaments of the season.
After Rome, Kerber will compete at the French Open in Paris (from 27 May). She has nothing to defend in the two tournaments, as she failed in her opening matches in both Foro Italico in the Italian capital and Stade Roland Garros in 2017. In Rome to Anett Kontaveit (Estonia) – and a little later in Paris to the Russian left-hander Ekaterina Makarova.
Due to the injury on her right thigh, Kerber had to give up her round of the last 16 against Kontaveit at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart exactly two weeks ago. “I noticed the pain between my thighs and groin during the last days and also today when I was playing in – and tried everything possible”, the Kieler said afterwards: “But it got worse and worse in the first two games of the match. I gave it all I had, but I couldn’t.”
After an investigation in Munich the following day, the Australian and US Open winner of 2016 was initially ordered to take a training break. In the training sessions of the last days the world ranking elves had no more problems. In the opening round of Stuttgart, her first sand court tournament in 2018, Kerber had defeated two-time Wimbledon winner Petra Kvitova in two sets after a strong performance.
Kerber had started the #FitMitAngie campaign (#GeneralibewegtDeutschland) in mid-April and announced it as follows: “So you know what muscle ache is! As part of the multi-week fitness plan for everyone, the former world number one gives valuable tips on nutrition, mental strength, workout in videos, blogs and interviews – and chats from the sewing box.