Three-time major winner Kerber will retire after Paris Olympics

PARIS (AP) — Three-time Grand Slam champion Angelique Kerber announced Thursday that she will retire after the Paris Olympics.

The 36-year-old German player won majors at every tournament except for the French Open at Roland Garros — on the same clay courts where she will bid farewell to tennis after the Paris Games. She faces four-time major winner Naomi Osaka of Japan in the first round.

“Before the Olympics begin, l can already say that I will never forget Paris 2024, because it will be my last professional tournament as a tennis player," Kerber posted on Instagram. “And whereas this might actually be the right decision, it will never feel that way. Simply because I love the sport with all my heart and l’m thankful for the memories and opportunities it has given me.”

Kerber later confirmed her retirement when speaking briefly on stage after the Olympic tennis draw. Men’s and women’s first-round play begins Saturday.

Kerber won the Australian Open and the U.S. Open in 2016 — the year she reached No. 1 in the rankings and got a silver in singles at the Rio de Janeiro Games. She won Wimbledon two years later.

“Paris 2024 will mark the finish line of the most incredible journey I could have ever dreamed of growing up with a racket in my hand,” Kerber said. “There are many more things I want to say and people to thank, which I will do once I completed my last match. But for now, I will take the time and soak up every second of this final episode on court.”

International Tennis Federation president David Haggerty praised Kerber's “stellar career” and her overall contribution to the game.

“Her individual record speaks for itself and her 18 Billie Jean King Cup team nominations show just how priceless an asset she has been to Germany over the years,” Haggerty said. “She made her Olympic debut at London 2012, and I know that winning silver at Rio 2016 was a dream come true for her. So it is fitting that she will bring the curtain down on her career wearing her country’s colors at Paris 2024."

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AP Summer Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games