Angelique Kerber Tops ‘Incredible Year’ With U.S. Open Title

German women’s tennis player Angelique Kerber has eclipsed tennis superstar Serena Williams for the No. 1 ranking, usurping the spot from Williams who has held the rank for over three years.

The German athlete had a stellar performance at the U.S. Open, winning her second of two grand slams this year, becoming the first German woman to win the U.S. Open since 1996, and identifying her as an emerging athlete to watch in the sport. Kerber’s left-handedness and steady, aggressive performance earned her a soaring success at the U.S. Open.

“It’s just amazing. I won my second Grand Slam in one year. That is the best year in my career,” Kerber said after defeating Karolina Pliskova 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 in a competitive and tense two-hour match on Saturday. “All my dreams came true this year.”

Kerber’s final round was a nail-biting 3-3 deciding set.

“I knew I had to risk a little bit, because this is the only chance I can get,” Kerber said. “And when I won the point I knew, ‘Okay, I have the feeling.’ Now just to go for it. I was not thinking too much that this is a final. I was just trying to take the challenge.”

“With Angie, you cannot wait for mistakes,” Pliskova said before battling her Saturday. “She doesn’t give you anything.” Her subsequent loss seemed to confirm Kerber’s indomitability.

Kerber is now the second woman in history to win two grand slam singles titles over the age of 28. Her performance against Karolina Pliskova has earned her lots of attention, and has turned sports commentators’ attention to the future of the sport.

Serena Williams, whose dominance has come to make both her and sister Venus the face of competitive tennis globally, is turning 35 this year, and bad knees are likely winding down her time as an active athlete.

Kerber beat Williams in the Australian Open in January of this year, earning a Grand Slam for a German woman again for the first time since 1999.

Kerber is an unlikely replacement, as at 28 she’s hardly a newcomer to the sport, yet has never risen to the top ranking until now. Nevertheless, her winning performance has steamrolled over her competition for several rounds now, and she does not appear to plan on letting up soon.

“I think I’m ready to have this pressure on my shoulders,” Kerber said. “I think I get used to all of this, especially after my first Grand Slam in Australia. I had so much pressure after the title. Being No. 1, of course, now everybody will try to beat me and have nothing to lose.”

In 2015, Kerber lost several matches in a row and exited in the first round of the 2015 Australian Opening. This year, she’s won multiple Grand Slams and climbed her way to the absolute top of the rankings, indicating a potential replacement for Williams once she is set to retire.

“She’s grown as a player. She’s improved. She doesn’t just play defense anymore, she plays aggressively,” said Mary Joe Fernandez, the United States Fed Cup Captain. “I think her forehand down the line is one of the best in the game. She threads the needle beautifully.”

Coach Torben Beltz has confidence in Kerber’s performance and capabilities.

“You saw it in the match,” he said. “If she’s a break down, she never gives up. I think she never gives up. She’s the fighter she was before, but right now she believes more in herself. You really see that she doesn’t want to lose and wants to go for her shots. She has more self-confidence, and that’s very important for her.”

[Photo By Alex Goodlett/Getty Images]