Lob and Smash
Fansided

Angelique Kerber: coaching change attempt to regain No. 1 ranking

By Harry Floyd

BEIJING, CHINA - OCTOBER 02: Angelique Kerber of Germany returns a shot against Alize Cornet on day three of the 2017 China Open at the China National Tennis Centre on October 1st, 2017 in Beijing, China. (Photo by Emmanuel Wong/Getty Images)
BEIJING, CHINA - OCTOBER 02: Angelique Kerber of Germany returns a shot against Alize Cornet on day three of the 2017 China Open at the China National Tennis Centre on October 1st, 2017 in Beijing, China. (Photo by Emmanuel Wong/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

Angelique Kerber adds coach Wim Fissette to the team. The former world No. 1 is looking to regain her rhythm and take back the top ranking.

Angelique Kerber is in rebuilding mode on the WTA Tour.

A former world No. 1, the German tennis star has made a coaching change before heading into 2018 action. Kerber adds coach Wim Fissette to her team after splitting with Torben Beltz in mid-November.

More from Lob and Smash

Despite being part of Kerber’s career highlights, Beltz will not go into the 2018 WTA Tour alongside the German tennis star. She saw a slump throughout most of 2017 before finding some success toward the end of the tour. Kerber reached the semifinals in Tokyo where she even defeated Karolina Pliskova in her straight set quarterfinals victory.

Angelique Kerber is a two-time Grand Slam singles champion.

The German tennis star ends the 2017 WTA Tour as the world No. 21 in women’s singles tennis. She falls just ahead of American superstar Serena Williams who stepped away from the court after giving birth.

Fissette has worked with several top players in women’s singles tennis including Victoria Azarenka and Maria Sharapova. He most recently split ways with British No. 1 Johanna Konta. Kerber appears enthusiastic about their chances on the 2018 WTA Tour.

Related Story: Federer is 2017's Best in Tennis

Kerber is a former Australian Open and US Open champion. Both of her Grand Slam singles titles came on the 2016 WTA Tour. She also reached the finals at Wimbledon during that same year. Now, 2018 provides the German tennis star a chance at redemption.

Several young players such as Simona Halep and Caroline Wozniacki have emerged as top players in women’s singles tennis. Kerber falls somewhere in-between younger stars and veteran greats. She has already tasted major tournament success but can easily become one of the top players in the sport with a strong tournament run at any point.

Next: Genie Bouchard's Top 5 Tournaments

Look for Angelique Kerber to rise in the women’s singles ranking on the 2018 WTA Tour. Her new coaching change will likely be just one in a step of many improvements to her style in the coming year. The Australian Open is right around the corner. Kerber, the 2016 champion at the major tournament, will be an interesting pick to win the title at Melbourne Park. Stay tuned to see how she fares in the early weeks of the 2018 WTA Tour.

Home/Opinion