Wimbledon 2018: Angelique Kerber credits troubled 2017 for triumph after overcoming Serena Williams

Angelique Kerber believes that she would not have won Wimbledon but for her troubles in 2017, when she fell from No 1 to No 21 in the world rankings as she failed to build on her successes of the previous year. The 30-year-old German won two Grand Slam titles in 2016 and lost to Serena Williams in the final at Wimbledon that year, but struggled throughout the following season.

“I think without 2017 I could not have won this tournament,” Kerber said in the wake of her 6-3, 6-3 victory over Williams in the final here on Saturday. “I think I learned a lot from last year, with all the expectations, all the things I go through. I learned so many things about myself, about how to deal with things, how to make my schedule.

“I’m trying to enjoy every single moment now. I’ve also found the motivation I had in 2016, which was amazing. I think to have such a year again is impossible, but now I’m just trying to improve my game, not think too much about the results, trying to be a better tennis player and a better person and enjoy my tennis again.”

Asked to compare winning the title here with her successes in 2016, Kerber said: “It’s a completely new feeling, because everything started for me when I won my first Grand Slam in 2016. After 2017 I don’t think anybody was expecting me to come back so strongly, to win my third Grand Slam title and win Wimbledon, which was always my dream. I think two weeks ago nobody expected I could go that far.

“I was trying to staying focused the whole two weeks, every single day, trying to improve my tennis, trying to staying in my moment, not thinking too much, not thinking what can happen.”

Asked how she had managed to play so well in her four Grand Slam finals, Kerber said with a smile: “Because I’m 30 already. I think I’ve had so much experience over the years. I know the feeling of going out there in the semi-finals, playing in finals. I’d played in the final here once already so I knew what to expect. I think that helped me to be a little bit relaxed today, to focus on the match and not be thinking that this was the Wimbledon final.”

Kerber said that Wimbledon was “special” to her. “My first memories were watching Steffi Graf here, winning all the matches, winning in two sets. I think she won here seven times. I remember watching her and noticing that everybody was playing in white on the grass court.

Kerber won her first grand slam since 2016 (AFP/Getty Images)

“Then I came here for the first time to play juniors. I felt so good playing on grass, from the very first point. I’ve played so many great matches here in the last few years.”

Kerber paid tribute to her coach, Wim Fissette, whom she appointed at the end of last year following his split with Johanna Konta.

“We tried to improve my tennis from the beginning of the year, to be more aggressive,” she said. “We changed my serve a little bit. I think this is also a key point, why I play like I played now. I think it was also one of the keys to today’s match that I served well in the important moments. My serve is a little bit faster than it was even last year.”

Kerber said she had felt nervous before today’s final but added: “I was trying to tell myself: ‘Go out there and play your best match.’ I know that against Serena I had to play my best tennis, especially in the important moments.

“I was just trying to be aggressive, to go for it when I had the chance because I know well she serves. I also had to move well and make her move too. At the end I was starting to get quite nervous. I knew that I had to take my first chance because you never know with her. She fights until the last ball.

“It’s just amazing. I cannot describe this feeling because when I was a kid I was always dreaming of this moment. To win Wimbledon is something really special in my career.”

Williams thought Kerber had played “unbelievable” and said she had been pleased with her own achievements here. “I didn’t know a couple of months ago where I was, where I would be, how I would do, how I would be able to come back,” she said. “It was such a long way to see light at the end of the road.

“I think these two weeks have really showed me that, OK, I can compete. Obviously I can compete for the long run in a Grand Slam. I can come out and be a contender to win Grand Slams.”