Angelique Kerber is awarded in the category “Athlete with Heart” at the 37th German Sports Press Ball on November 3 in Frankfurt/Main.
The “Golden Hen” is already at home with the 30-year-old. For Kerber, the presentation of the most coveted audience award was the prelude to a “hot autumn” in terms of honours. A Wimbledon victory possesses this very special radiance – which is why several trophies will be added in the coming weeks.
At the award ceremony for the so-called Pegasos at the beginning of November in the Old Opera House of the Main metropolis, however, the sporting triumph is not the sole focus – rather the circumstances and prehistory.
The prize is not awarded “for victories and records, but above all for touching humanity, fairness and commitment”, it was stated in the statement – and went on: “Wimbledon winners have the same status as Olympic champions: A world champion gets an enchanting ‘ex’ stuck on him at some point. Wimbledon’s champion, you’re a lifetime winner.”
“Angelique Kerber is one of the world’s greatest tennis players of the time. With her, German sport has been presented with a wonderful representative who collects open expressions of sympathy from all over the world, because you can always feel people in her,” says ball organiser Jörg Müller from the agency metropress, adding: “Her victory in Wimbledon this summer is the crowning reward for her impressive courage to change after a difficult phase”.
For some time now, Kerber, currently third in the world rankings, has been acting as a godmother for UNICEF, the children’s charity, to campaign against child poverty and for girls’ rights.
Last year in Frankfurt the retired Formula 1 World Champion Nico Rosberg and European Athletics Champion Gesa Felicitas Krause were honoured as “Athletes with Hearts”. This time, ex-football national player Philipp Lahm will also be honoured as the “legend of sport”.
The event at the Alte Oper has been one of the highlights of the season since 1981 and with 2200 guests is the biggest ball in Germany. The organizers are the Frankfurt Sports Press Association and the Association of German Sports Journalists.