5 Years After Depriving Serena Williams a Chance at Glory, 35-Year-Old Tennis Veteran Hopes to Replicate the American’s Ground-Breaking Comeback – ‘There Is Room for Both..’

When Serena Williams made a comeback after giving birth to Olympia, she set a precedent for WTA players to get back to their best on-court form post-childbirth. After her childbirth, Serena reached the finals of Wimbledon and the US Open in 2018, proving her resilience. Angelique Kerber, who denied Williams of her 24th major title at Wimbledon that year, has commended the American legend’s comeback in the past. This year, she wishes to emulate her former rival’s achievement.

The German tennis star announced the birth of her first child in February. Now, with the rise of WTA players who have become mothers and are still active, Kerber sees a positive and inclusive change.

Will Angelique Kerber make a smashing comeback after childbirth like Serena Williams? 

Angelique Kerber broke the hearts of American tennis fans all over the world when she won at SW19 in 2018. She became the first German woman to win Wimbledon after Steffi Graf in 1996. In the process, she denied Williams her 24th Grand Slam title.

Now, after giving birth to her first child in February this year, she is planning to make a comeback soon. She has become the tournament ambassador of the Bad Homburg Open. In an exclusive interview with Bad Homburg Open, while shedding light on WTA stars who have recently experienced childbirth, she stated, “It’s a very nice and interesting development.”

She hoped for better arrangements for the new mothers to have access to equal opportunities. She stated, “I hope that in tennis and in all other areas, career entry for women will work even better in the future and that it will be possible to return to work.”

Despite having different circumstances, she hoped that she would make a comeback “primarily because they simply love their job. Family and job are not mutually exclusive.”

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Taking an example from her life, she stated, “In this new phase of my life, my heart is still attached to tennis. And I hope that there is room for both in my life.” Williams had it, and so can Kerber.

Garbine Muguruza wishes to take a different path

Serena Williams has led by example. After experiencing a life-threatening childbirth, she still made a comeback and even reached the finals of two majors. Unfortunately, Williams could not clinch her 24th Grand Slam title, but she left a lasting legacy behind.

However, not every WTA player thinks like Kerber and Williams. Spanish-Venezuelan player, Garbine Muguruza feels otherwise. Muguruza has declared that whenever she decides to start a family, she will not be making a comeback to tennis.

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Nonetheless, Serena Williams has made it possible for future WTA players to have the hope that they can regain their form on the court even after becoming mothers.