Pregnant With First Child, Angelique Kerber Withdraws From US Open 2022: One Versus Two Is Not A Healthy Competition

German tennis player Angelique Kerber. (Photo: Instagram @angie.kerber)

JAKARTA - Tennis player from Germany, Angelique Kerber, has decided to withdraw from the 2022 US Open. This decision was taken shortly after announcing the birth of her first child.

Kerber, who won the 2016 US Open, actually wanted to appear. However, she felt it was unfair to take part.

"I really wanted to play at the US Open but in the end I decided that one man against two is not a healthy competition," the three-time Grand Slam winner joked on her social media accounts.

Kerber's victory in New York six years ago took her to world number one. The 34-year-old tennis player stayed at the top of the rankings for 34 weeks from 2016 to 2017.

She beat Karolina Pliskova in the final in three sets to clinch the US Open trophy and become the first German to win a singles title in New York in 20 years.

This year, Kerber's last action on the tennis court was at Wimbledon, last June. At that time, she was knocked out in the third round after losing to Belgian Elise Mertens.

Since then, no one knew about her summer tour plans before she finally released the news regarding her pregnancy.

"I've always thought of New York as the turning point of my career and it feels like this year is still the same. Since starting my career again in 2011 and then winning the US Open in 2016 and then becoming world number one… the US Open has a special place," said the tennis player who is now ranked 52 in the world.

"I hope to be able to say goodbye in person on the pitch before I take a break from touring," she continued.