Germany’s Angelique Kerber, Can She Put Steffi’s Ghost Behind Her?

Is there someone looking over your shoulder?

Previous workplace experiences for many are often filed in the “I want to forget” folder, especially the ones that entail the supervisor looking over your shoulder for training purposes.

There was one supervisor peering over the shoulder workplace experience that this writer would file under “satisfying”.

True story.

During the course of a day, a supervisor gathered three of us call center worker drones together for training purposes because our add on sales were lagging and she was going to provide us with some pointers.

For those of us who have sold the add on products, we know that when you have that customer on the line, you have to keep the conversation moving, build a rapport, sell one add on and close the deal.

So after listening to our phone conversations and staring over our shoulders, our all wise, all knowing fearless leader explained that she was going to have us three blind mice listen in on the next inbound call while she demonstrates how to sell an add on product.

The next inbound call came in.

We listened with swell hear no evil, see no evil and speak no evil anticipation.

Our supervisor began to take the initial order that the customer wanted and then began to try and sell one add on product after another. By the time she got to the third one, tiring of all of the chatter, the customer hung up on her.

We underlings smiled silently.

Examining the 2017 campaign of the beautiful and super talented recent former number one player in the world, Angelique Kerber of Germany who had a brilliant 2016 Grand Slam journey, you would think that she is playing this year with someone looking over her shoulder.

When espn.com reported on her income in 2016 where she ended the year with $10,136,615, which would provide you with some great shopping sprees at Kaufhaus des Westens and then they contrasted it with her earnings in 2017, which as of this August 1st writing crawls in by comparison at $913,621.

Whoever is looking over her shoulder also has their chin resting on it.

Maybe it’s all of Germany.

She hails from Bremen.

**fciwomenswrestling.com article, By Jürgen Howaldt – Self-photographed wikimedia**

Bremen is a major cultural and economic hub in the northern regions of Germany.

Bremen is home to dozens of historical galleries and museums, ranging from historical sculptures to major art museums, such as the Übersee-Museum Bremen. Bremen has a reputation as a working-class city.

**fciwomenswrestling.com article, By Pedelecs by Wikivoyage wikimedia**

The city is home to a large number of multinational companies and manufacturing centers. Companies headquartered in Bremen include the Hachez chocolate company and Vector Foiltec.

The great travel site Lonely Planet as always educates with unique insights. “They tell us there’s an old German saying that ‘people from Lübeck drink beyond their means, people from Hamburg eat beyond their means and people from Bremen live beyond their means’. It might never have been true, but it’s certainly evident that Bremeners like to enjoy the finer things in life.”

No wonder Angelique has high expectations for herself. Those expectations appear to be nestled in her village.

Once she reached number one, she became the darling of Deutschland and the comparisons to Steffi Graf were not only inevitable but over flowing.

As reported at dw.com in September of 2016 after the US Open, “The world’s new top women’s tennis player has returned home to Germany after winning the US Open. Angelique Kerber unseated Serena Williams after the American had held top spot for 186 weeks.”

They later quoted the left handed star as expressing, “I no longer have to prove anything to anybody. Now I’m at the top.”

Really?

Are you serious?

Angelique? Having to prove something to the German fans is just beginning.

Especially when you yourself can’t seem to stop talking about Steffi.

After becoming a giant slayer and defeating Venus Williams 6-4, 6-4 at the 2016 Wimbledon tournament, express.co.uk quoted her as relishing, “Of course I will try to be the next German to win here after Steffi.”

We wished we could have been peeking over her shoulder and whispering into her ear, please don’t mention Steffi’s name. Pleeeeeez. But wouldn’t you know it. While speaking with eurosport.com, what does our athletic maiden say, “I’m proud to be the next German Number One after Steffi Graf.”

Angelique, we know that you speak wonderful English but when it comes to comparing yourself to Steffi, we will provide you with some advice in cultural American and what is that?

“Gurl? Shut Yo Mouth.”

Now that her 2017 has been anything but (don’t say Steffi) stellar, even the great Boris Becker is getting in on the act. At tennisworldusa.org they share, “German tennis legend Boris Becker says countrywoman Angelique Kerber should turn to 22-time Wimbledon champion Steffi Graf for advice as she struggles with the pressure of being World No. 1.”

Angelique was only eight when Graf won her final title in 1996.

Having made her professional debut in 2003, Ms. Kerber rose to prominence upon reaching the semifinals of the 2011 US Open as the no. 92 ranked player in the world.

She then ascended to the top of the rankings on 12 September 2016, thus becoming the twenty-second and oldest player to achieve the number one ranking for the first time and the first new number one player since Victoria Azarenka in 2012.

America’s Serena Williams previously held the top ranking with an iron grip.

And what a dazzling year 2016 was.

A left-hander known for her aggressive counter-punching all-court game, Angelique won 10 singles titles across all surfaces on the WTA Tour.

Our beauty has won two major titles, the first at the 2016 Australian Open, and the second eight months later at the 2016 US Open, and an Olympic silver medal while representing Germany at the 2016 Summer Olympics.

That is unbelievably impressive.

Then 2017 began.

Her record in 2016 was 63-18. This year it prints at 24-15. Not terrible by most standards but certainly not number one material.

And certainly not (we promised not to say her name) Andre Agassi’s wife material.

After her recent decline, the press is showing her no mercy.

On July 4, 2017, telegraph.co.uk analyzed, “There are some tennis players who relish being the world No 1, who draw strength and confidence from being acknowledged as the best. It is safe to say Angelique Kerber is not one of them.

Ever since she climbed to the top of the WTA rankings, the German’s form has been plummeting like the stock market in the wake of a Jeremy Corbyn election victory. In 2016 she won the Australian and US Opens, lost in the final at Wimbledon and took silver in the Olympics. Since becoming No?1 at the turn of the year, she has won zero tournaments and suffered more first-round defeats than she has reached finals.”

Even one of best media allies in espn.com mused, “When the world No.1 steps out onto court to play the world No. 247, assumptions would ordinarily fly in favour of a one-sided match.

But that was a far cry from the first round match on Centre Court at Wimbledon Tuesday, where Angelique Kerber battled through to a tight 6-4, 6-4 victory against American Irina Falconi.

But Kerber hasn’t been consistent of late — 2017 has seen multiple early round losses and only one tournament final — owing, almost certainly to the heightened pressure of being ranked the best in the world.”

In watching video of Angelique’s game, while she has a powerful forehand, so many tightly muscled girls on the tour have that as well.

Our luminary is a world-class returner, well-known for her fighting spirit and defensive skills, often forcing opponents into error with quick, efficient movement both laterally and vertically on the court.

She is a great counter puncher and has stupendous foot work and while everything looks really good, we wouldn’t describe it as number one great.

Having said all of that, Angelique has the internal makeup to be number one again but does she really have to put that internal pressure upon herself?

If a great personality and jaw dropping beauty could add points to the ranking meter, Angelique would score high.

Everyone in the professional tennis world who has publicly spoken of her say absolutely wonderful things about her.

Femcompetitor Magazine has studied many of her videos and we too fell in love with her.

Her sponsors have as well.

She partners with Adidas, Yonex, Generali, Porsche, Bare Minerals, SAP, Slim Secrets, Unicef and Rolex to name a few.

It’s nice to have that group in love with you and help bolster your income when your tour earnings lag.

Can she regain her form? We think so.

Having coached women’s tennis at the high school level with great success our experience has taught us a very important lesson.

In life, employers will always be staring over your shoulder, spouses will often have unrealistic expectations of you, possibly friends and family as well.

It is your realistic expectations of yourself that matter.

Set your goals high? Of course.

Still, it’s not so much where you came from but along with learning from your mistakes, making great sacrifices and working harder than before, it’s about where you’re going that matters.

Angelique Kerber is a super talented tennis player and possesses all of the stellar weapons for improved greatness.

2016 was a fantastic year but by now, it is the ancient past.

So are the wonderful memories of Steffi Graf who will always be in our hearts.

Angelique?

Please move on from Steffi’s ghost.

Move on from the past.

Ignore the shadows peering over your shoulder.

Don’t peek to the left or the right.

Please steadfastly go into the future.