WTA: “Still pure goose bumps”: Kerber receives heart and soul award as an athlete

Wimbledon winner Angelique Kerber has been honoured as an athlete with heart at the 37th German Sports Press Ball in Frankfurt/Main. The prize was awarded “not for victories and records, but above all for touching humanity, fairness and commitment,” was the reason given for the award.

By Ulrike Weinrich from Frankfurt/Main

“Angelique Kerber already had “goose bumps pure” before – when the decisive scenes of her special tennis year 2018 were shown on the huge screen in the Great Hall of the Alte Oper. Even before the dessert, which consisted of chocolate tartlets with gold dust, walnut ice cream and wild berries.

“I feel the emotions I was allowed to experience for two weeks,” she said to the pictures of the match ball in Wimbledon on 14 July: “It was a wonderful moment, it was the most beautiful moment of my career.

Up on the Frankfurt stage “Angie” experienced something true in real time after all the touching film clips from the retort. The cuddly singer James Blunt, musical star guest of the rushing ball night with 2500 guests from sports, politics and society, presented the 30-year-old with the “Pegasos” and whispered to her: “Fantastic! That the 43-year-old is English was a perfect fit in this case.

The prize was awarded “not for victories and records, but above all for touching humanity, fairness and commitment”, it was stated in the explanatory statement – and continued: “Wimbledon winners have the same status as Olympic champions: A world champion gets an enchanting ‘ex’ stuck on him at some point”. Wimbledon champion, however, THAT one remains for life.

“With Angelique, German sport has been given a wonderful representative who collects open expressions of sympathy all over the world, because you can always feel the 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.

The three-time Grand Slam winner, who sat at the table in the hall with Hesse’s Prime Minister Volker Bouffier and figure skating icon Katharina Witt, has for some time been acting as a godmother for UNICEF, the children’s charity, to campaign against child poverty and for girls’ rights. “All my life I have had the privilege of being promoted and pursuing my dreams,” Kerber explained. That’s why she is committed to the organization, and is the face of the #Stop10Seconds campaign with Mats Hummels and Udo Lindenberg.

At the last appointment before her well-deserved vacation in sunny climes, Kerber felt the radiance of the Wimbledon title. Not least in the winding corridors of the Alte Oper, where she was repeatedly asked for selfies.

“A lot has changed since the middle of July. The attention has increased even more”, emphasized the world ranking second, which has not yet presented a new coach in Frankfurt. The successor to Wim Fissette will not be announced until the next few weeks. At the end of November Kerber will start training again. As of 29 December, she will take part in the Hopman Cup in Perth with Alexander Zverev, as she did last year.

After a formidable season with two major coups and a leap to the top of the world rankings, she took only a few days off and participated in several events. She experienced the consequence in 2017, when Kerber fell out of the top 20 in the world ranking.

The fact that the Kieler then reappeared in well-known rankings also fills her with satisfaction. “This year is special for me because I came back again. I never stopped believing in my dreams. “

When DJ “2 Bizzy” was in top form far after midnight in the club lounge on level 5 of the Alte Oper, Kerber had already made his way home. AFTER the season is BEFORE the season – somehow. Therefore, in the next three weeks it will be valid: Relax and gather new strength for 2019.

On 16 December, however, another important date is due in Baden-Baden. There, the trophies are awarded to the sportswoman and sportsman of the year in the Kurhaus. The 2016 trophy, Kerber already has it at home.