Former WTA World No. 1 Angelique Kerber, who gave birth to her first child earlier this year, is returning to action at the United Cup for the first time since Wimbledon in 2022. Her countryman, Alexander Zverev, is happy to have her back and representing Germany.
“She's somebody who doesn't give up in a true sense of that way,” Zverev told ATPTour.com. “I think she always finds a way to get out of difficult positions, and hopefully she can bring that this week.”
Kerber is just five months younger than Zverev’s older brother, former World No. 25 Mischa Zverev. So ‘Sascha’, a 26-year-old two-time Nitto ATP Finals champion, has known Kerber and other German stars since he was a young kid.
“I know all of them or they have known me since I'm two years old, because they've obviously been playing the same junior tournaments, they've been traveling through Europe at the same time,” Zverev said. “From an early age, I've known all of them: her, Petko [Andrea Petkovic]. So it's been basically my whole life.”
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This will not be the first time Zverev has teamed with Kerber. They competed alongside one another for Germany in the Hopman Cup in 2018 and 2019. On each occasion, they reached the championship match, but fell to Switzerland’s Roger Federer and Belinda Bencic.
“We were very close to winning the Hopman Cup when it last was there. We made the final two times,” Zverev said. “But I think it's great to be back here as a team. I think the format has changed a little bit. Hopefully it's going to be even more entertaining, but we're definitely looking forward to being teammates again.”
Germany will begin its United Cup on Saturday evening against Italy. Kerber will make her return against Jasmine Paolini and Zverev will play Lorenzo Sonego.
