Speaker 1: Hi, everyone, and welcome to another episode of The sit Down.
Speaker 1: I'm Mattrolope, a writer and editor for ozopen dot com,
Speaker 1: and I'm.
Speaker 2: Viv Christine, managing editor of Australian Tennis Magazine and Matt.
Speaker 2: Why are we sitting down this week with Angelique Kerbut.
Speaker 1: Well, viv Angie was another player that we got to
Speaker 1: sit down with during the Australian Open, and it was
Speaker 1: significant because it was the ten year anniversary of her
Speaker 1: triumph at AO twenty sixteen. Now, that was magnificent on
Speaker 1: so many levels, but that was a result that really
Speaker 1: kind of propelled her to become a massive fan favorite
Speaker 1: at the Australian Open. She'd always been the top player
Speaker 1: for several years before that, but something clicked and the
Speaker 1: stars aligned to see her take that next step to
Speaker 1: becoming a Grand Slam champion. And she beat Serena Williams
Speaker 1: in that classic final and it's distinct in that that's
Speaker 1: the only Australian Open final that Serena Williams has ever lost.
Speaker 1: So we got to talk to her about that and
Speaker 1: the season that unfolded after the Australian Open where she
Speaker 1: ended at world number one.
Speaker 2: Yeah, there's a lot to talk about when it comes
Speaker 2: to Angie and the Australian Open, but this was a
Speaker 2: wide ranging chat when she talks about where her path
Speaker 2: to Grand Slam heights began, where it led, and how
Speaker 2: she's still connected to tennis since her retirement at the
Speaker 2: Paris twenty twenty four Olympics. Angie Koba, thank you for
Speaker 2: joining us today on the sit down here at the
Speaker 2: Australian Open.
Speaker 3: Yes, nice to be here.
Speaker 2: It is of course great to have you back in
Speaker 2: Melbourne again. What are your memories of the Australian Open
Speaker 2: and how it shaped your career.
Speaker 4: You know, I have a lot of memories, you know,
Speaker 4: during my whole career, I played so well here and
Speaker 4: I spent so many birthdays in Australia. But of course
Speaker 4: twenty sixteen that was my year. To winning the Australian Open,
Speaker 4: being match point down in the first round and then
Speaker 4: two weeks later to holding the trophy.
Speaker 3: That was really really special.
Speaker 4: Playing against Serena in the final, you know, that was yeah,
Speaker 4: something I am really looking back and I will never
Speaker 4: forget this special moment.
Speaker 2: Obviously, life is quite different for you now. I mean
Speaker 2: we're king to hear what life is like for you now,
Speaker 2: but also do you miss being on the tour?
Speaker 4: I really miss it because I love to play, and
Speaker 4: you know, I still play tennis. This was always, you know,
Speaker 4: a part of my life which is still and I
Speaker 4: enjoy to be on court. I enjoy hitting, and of course, yeah,
Speaker 4: I of course I'm missing to compete. But on the
Speaker 4: other side, I have so many things to do now
Speaker 4: which are different. But also I also love to be
Speaker 4: a mom to you know, spend time a little bit different.
Speaker 2: And yeah, I have a bit of an unusual left
Speaker 2: field question I always wanted to ask during your career.
Speaker 2: You're one of the game's most famous left handed is,
Speaker 2: but as I understand it, a natural right hander.
Speaker 3: Did you work on that?
Speaker 4: No, I think, oh, this is just just spent naturally
Speaker 4: right now, I'm a left on the tennis tour. But
Speaker 4: normally that's true. I'm righty, so I do everything with
Speaker 4: my right hand. I'm eating, I'm even throughing, I'm riding
Speaker 4: with the right hand.
Speaker 3: So it's a little bit like Rafa Ruffa is doing
Speaker 3: the same.
Speaker 4: So he's playing with the left hand, but everything else
Speaker 4: he's doing right.
Speaker 3: But it just came came out like that. Thank you
Speaker 3: for clearing that up. Yeah, I don't think I knew that.
Speaker 1: If you've told me for preparing for the interview, I
Speaker 1: was like, really, I didn't. We would love, obviously to
Speaker 1: talk about your fantastic career, but we're going to take
Speaker 1: you all the way back to twenty eleven. So you
Speaker 1: were weord number ninety two and you made the US
Speaker 1: Open semifinals. We remember this clearly because you played Australian
Speaker 1: Sanstoza in the semis. But you'd never gone beyond the
Speaker 1: third round of a major, and then in New York
Speaker 1: he made the semis. So where did that result come from?
Speaker 1: And kind of how did that push you on the
Speaker 1: track that you went on.
Speaker 4: You know, I think twy eleven was a little bit
Speaker 4: a year where everything changed. Also, something makes click in
Speaker 4: my head. I don't know, but when I came to
Speaker 4: the US Open twenty eleven, I had nothing to lose.
Speaker 4: You know, I was underdog. No one was actually taking
Speaker 4: care that I will reach more than three rounds. But yeah,
Speaker 4: I reached the Samis. I played against Sam and we
Speaker 4: played three sets. I still can remember the match, and
Speaker 4: she won that year against Arena, So I was really
Speaker 4: proud that I played a really good match against Sam.
Speaker 4: I reached the Samies, and after the tournament, I don't know,
Speaker 4: I was just enjoying the tennis even more. I was
Speaker 4: trying to work in harder because I knew that I'm
Speaker 4: so close to win a major. And yeah, and since
Speaker 4: then I was really confident and I did everything what
Speaker 4: I can do to being a better player.
Speaker 2: Yeah.
Speaker 1: Well from there you were pretty much a top player
Speaker 1: ever since. You were top five the next year. And
Speaker 1: then we go to the Australian Open. As you reference before,
Speaker 1: you say that match point in the first round, and
Speaker 1: you also had a really significant quarterfinal against as a
Speaker 1: ranker who you'd never beaten. She'd beaten you in Brisbane
Speaker 1: really recently, and you were down in that match and
Speaker 1: completely turned it around. So there were two significant things.
Speaker 1: And then obviously beating Serena. So again, what kind of
Speaker 1: clicked that weight to get you from like top ten
Speaker 1: player to Grand Slam champion.
Speaker 4: You know, in two weeks everything has to be come together.
Speaker 4: You know, there's no chance that you played two weeks
Speaker 4: your best tennis. So you have to deal with so
Speaker 4: many things, and even if you feel bad one day,
Speaker 4: you have to go there and win a match doesn't
Speaker 4: matter how And I remember the first round which we
Speaker 4: mentioned with a match point down. But then against Azarenka
Speaker 4: as well, I never beat her. I lost against her
Speaker 4: like two weeks before, and I knew that I have
Speaker 4: to play my best tennis and I was down and I.
Speaker 3: Had nothing to lose.
Speaker 4: I was also happy to being already in the quarters
Speaker 4: because first round I was already with one leg in
Speaker 4: the plane back to Germany, and you know, I was
Speaker 4: just trying to enjoying my tennis and I just tried
Speaker 4: to win the match. And I won the match, and
Speaker 4: I remember it was just amazing because the fans. I
Speaker 4: remember also the match. The fans support me so much,
Speaker 4: and yeah, a lot of energy out there. And that
Speaker 4: was my step to the Samis and then to the final.
Speaker 1: And so the yes, the final. It's such a memorable
Speaker 1: Australian Open Final. Serena was at the peak of her
Speaker 1: powers then she'd won, she was not far from winning
Speaker 1: the Grand Slam year before. She was well number one.
Speaker 1: She never lost an Australian Open.
Speaker 3: Final, Oh really, no never.
Speaker 1: Okay, are the only person that's ever made her in
Speaker 1: an Australia final.
Speaker 2: So how did you do?
Speaker 3: That good question. I don't know.
Speaker 4: I just knew that I have to play my best
Speaker 4: sentence because that was my first Grand Slam final and
Speaker 4: you never know if you would reach another Grand Slam final,
Speaker 4: especially on my age. I was twenty eight, so I
Speaker 4: was not the youngest player in this moment, but Serena
Speaker 4: was the favorite, and I knew that I doesn't want
Speaker 4: to play just a good match. I want to win
Speaker 4: then to beat her if I can, and I was.
Speaker 4: I was really with a lot of confidence with the
Speaker 4: matches before, beating as a Aranka, beating a good players
Speaker 4: as well, and yeah, and I just enjoyed it from
Speaker 4: the beginning, from the first point. I won the first
Speaker 4: set and then I lost the second one. So the
Speaker 4: third set was a little bit up and down. I
Speaker 4: was up for one and then she came back and
Speaker 4: then she surfed and.
Speaker 3: I break her. So it was really a lot of
Speaker 3: things going on during the match.
Speaker 4: But yeah, when I made the last point, it was
Speaker 4: just just crazy.
Speaker 2: Yeah.
Speaker 1: Yeah, a new reference to the fans as well. Yes,
Speaker 1: you became a superstar here. What you did was huge.
Speaker 1: I think people really warm to you again in the
Speaker 1: quarters as well, and ever since you've been coming to
Speaker 1: Australia have always been a fan favorite. How has that
Speaker 1: been for you and your experience of the Australian Open.
Speaker 4: It's amazing. I mean always when I'm coming back, I'm
Speaker 4: feeling like home. I mean, the people are so friendlist,
Speaker 4: They're just so making me so welcome. So I'm enjoying
Speaker 4: my time, specially also this year to being here just
Speaker 4: by myself, you know, the first time, but it's the
Speaker 4: best place to be.
Speaker 3: I really enjoy it.
Speaker 4: And yeah, the fans, the people here, they are just
Speaker 4: just amazing to me.
Speaker 1: That's great. That's great to hear.
Speaker 2: That Australian Open title. It kicked off such a banner
Speaker 2: year for you. You went on to win the US Open,
Speaker 2: you became world number one. What was it that clicked
Speaker 2: for you in twenty sixteen.
Speaker 4: I think the confidence, you know. I think when I
Speaker 4: won the Australian Open and I realized that I really
Speaker 4: can win the big tournaments, and I knew that I
Speaker 4: have to work even harder. I knew that everyone else
Speaker 4: wanted to beat me, but I was trying to just
Speaker 4: improving myself, you know, and taking this confidence from Australia
Speaker 4: and Open to the next level to the next tournaments
Speaker 4: and yeah, and also twenty sixteen I reached, first of all,
Speaker 4: my first Womurton final, also against Areena. She beat me then,
Speaker 4: but that was also a huge slap for me, you know,
Speaker 4: to reaching a Womorton final in this year where I
Speaker 4: won Australian Open, and yeah, getting to the US Open.
Speaker 4: Winning the US Open my second Grand Slam, and in
Speaker 4: that time I reached the number one spot, so a
Speaker 4: lot of things going on three weeks before I know
Speaker 4: it was later I got the silver medal as well,
Speaker 4: so that was also in this year. So a lot
Speaker 4: of things, and that was for sure my best year.
Speaker 2: You mentioned the Wimburden final, but you did go on
Speaker 2: to win Wimbureden in twenty eighteen, so you'd won three
Speaker 2: other four Grand slams. So when you reflect on your career,
Speaker 2: what did those titles mean to you?
Speaker 3: A lot?
Speaker 4: I mean, especially Australian Open that was my first one,
Speaker 4: and this you know, first Grand slams are always special.
Speaker 4: I think everyone who knows and who want Grand Slams,
Speaker 4: they know how it is to win the first one.
Speaker 4: And yeah, women is for me also really really big
Speaker 4: on my career because when I was a kid. I
Speaker 4: was always dreaming to winning womurten, so you know, winning it,
Speaker 4: getting a second chance. You know, two years later when
Speaker 4: I reached the first final again against Serena, which also
Speaker 4: is crazy to beat her there was.
Speaker 3: Yeah, it was amazing. And with the.
Speaker 4: US Open spots or like winning yours Open, getting to
Speaker 4: the number one spot, yeah, it changed everything, you know,
Speaker 4: it changed me. It changed a little bit also the
Speaker 4: way I was looking then, the confidence and yeah, it's
Speaker 4: it's I doesn't want to miss it anymore.
Speaker 2: We we have two players this year in Melbourne who
Speaker 2: are in contention to win the Career Slam, which is
Speaker 2: Carlos Ocras and Egos Fia Chech.
Speaker 3: What what do you make of that question?
Speaker 2: Was that ever something that you were conscious of in
Speaker 2: your own career?
Speaker 4: You know, of course I was when I went to Paris.
Speaker 4: I had this always in my mind. But you know,
Speaker 4: clay was never my favorite surface. So let's say that.
Speaker 4: And I know that Carlos and Eager they will do
Speaker 4: it one day because they are still young. They have
Speaker 4: so many chances to do it, and they are still
Speaker 4: on the road this year, so who knows if one
Speaker 4: of them will make it this year. But I'm I'm
Speaker 4: sure they will do it. It's it's not easy, I
Speaker 4: know it, but I think they are good enough to
Speaker 4: do it.
Speaker 1: Yes, it's nice, and we've never had two plies to
Speaker 1: Charissam at the same timement say you know, yeah, they.
Speaker 3: Could be history. We'll say, who knows.
Speaker 1: In your career, some of your biggest rivals like Caroline
Speaker 1: Warsniak Agneshka once ago, were your friends as well. So
Speaker 1: what was it like to kind of balance that having
Speaker 1: really good friends who are also competing for the same
Speaker 1: price as you are. And do you keep in touch
Speaker 1: with them now?
Speaker 4: I'm still in touch with them and they are really
Speaker 4: good and close friends to me. So yeah, we live
Speaker 4: the same life, so we know exactly how it is
Speaker 4: and how we have to deal with everything, like during
Speaker 4: the tennis career. But also now they are both moms
Speaker 4: as well, so we have so many topics to talk about.
Speaker 4: But of course during the career, we when we played
Speaker 4: against each other, we always tried to play our best.
Speaker 4: You know they are when we are on court, we
Speaker 4: are really competitor. But like just after the match in
Speaker 4: the locker room, we already talk to each other, We
Speaker 4: already make an appointment for dinner, and so I think
Speaker 4: this is important, especially when you are like so many
Speaker 4: weeks around and to getting some close friends maybe to
Speaker 4: go for a coffee talk about something else, not only
Speaker 4: about tennis. I think it's really important for the players,
Speaker 4: for the people.
Speaker 1: Yeah, good balance. Yes, the other thing we want to
Speaker 1: ask you about with German tennis, obviously Alexanders Veras on
Speaker 1: court now he's so consistent at the top of the game.
Speaker 1: On the women's side, eve Lise has been a real
Speaker 1: rising staff for Germany. What is German tennis like in
Speaker 1: your eyes now that you're off the tour and watching it.
Speaker 4: You know, of course you have Alexandra Alexander Srerev, which yeah,
Speaker 4: is always good for surprises during the tournament, and he
Speaker 4: never won a Grand Slam yet, but who knows what's
Speaker 4: happened here because I know that one day he will
Speaker 4: win a Grand Slam because he's working really, really hard
Speaker 4: and he put everything on the practice courts and we
Speaker 4: know that he can play good tennis. And yeah, the
Speaker 4: women's side, it's a little bit different because on my
Speaker 4: time we had so many good players, We had so
Speaker 4: many top thirty, top fifty players with Patkovic with Alisiki
Speaker 4: with ye great great names, and yeah, it's I think
Speaker 4: on the women's side we have to wait a little
Speaker 4: bit to get there again.
Speaker 3: We have good junior's players.
Speaker 4: We have Efa of course she had the great run
Speaker 4: last year, and also we have Laura Tatiana. They are
Speaker 4: a little bit my generation and they are still playing.
Speaker 4: But yeah, let's see what's what's happened in the woman's
Speaker 4: side in the next years in Germany.
Speaker 2: And you've also we know we have you have really
Speaker 2: strong Polish connections. Yes, do you feel any affinity with Egeriontech.
Speaker 3: You know, I know her very well as well.
Speaker 4: It's not really my generation like Aga and also Caro,
Speaker 4: which is also half Polish. But yeah, I see that
Speaker 4: she is really putting the work on it. She's really
Speaker 4: strong mentally, and she's still young, and she reached so
Speaker 4: many titles, she won so many titles right now and yeah,
Speaker 4: she's hungry, she's still the motivation is really high and
Speaker 4: she will be around for the next few years for sure.
Speaker 1: Yeah, she's amazing.
Speaker 2: Yes, and as we talked about earlier, you are Nawama.
Speaker 2: When you look back on your career, is tennis a
Speaker 2: professional tennis career something that you would encourage for your
Speaker 2: children if they choose to.
Speaker 3: Do that, of course.
Speaker 4: I mean, if they choose to be a tennis player,
Speaker 4: why not. I mean I get through so I have
Speaker 4: a lot of experience. But on the other side, I
Speaker 4: will not push them, you know, if they really want it,
Speaker 4: if they love to play, why not. But first of all,
Speaker 4: they are still young. They have to play, they have
Speaker 4: to find what they want, what they love, and I
Speaker 4: would like to just hit with them one day. So
Speaker 4: this is for sure a small goal for me. But
Speaker 4: if not, it's also not It's fine, but let's see.
Speaker 4: For me, it's really important that they have fun, whatever
Speaker 4: they want, whatever they choose, and spending time with them.
Speaker 3: I think that's the most important thing right now.
Speaker 1: Of course, we have spent a lot of time talking
Speaker 1: about your incredible career highlights, and when you reflect on
Speaker 1: all of them, do you have one single favorite?
Speaker 4: This is really tough. I don't have just that's all everything.
Speaker 4: I think, of course Australia and Open. Then I have Wimburton,
Speaker 4: You're Open number one, sport met Yeah, so many things.
Speaker 4: That's not only one.
Speaker 1: No, that's fair. That's a tough question.
Speaker 3: Australian said yes for sure.
Speaker 2: Well, thank you so much for joining us on the
Speaker 2: thanked it's been wonderful to have you in the studio.
Speaker 3: Thank you very much.
Speaker 1: That well, viv I found it really interesting that when
Speaker 1: we asked Angie at the end of the interview to
Speaker 1: kind of name her biggest career highlight, she actually really
Speaker 1: struggled to pin one down. And I think that kind
Speaker 1: of symbolizes the fact that her career was full of
Speaker 1: so many milestones and achievements And.
Speaker 2: Isn't it fantastic to still have Angie involved in tennis
Speaker 2: because she sets such a great example over what was
Speaker 2: a really long and impressive career.
Speaker 1: Absolutely, and also preparing for the interview, when we were
Speaker 1: going back and researching kind of you know, all of
Speaker 1: her matches and her rise and her path just reminded
Speaker 1: us of what incredible spirit she brought to the sport.
Speaker 1: So many epic matches, classic matches. I think that was
Speaker 1: a testament to her fighting spirit and her fitness and
Speaker 1: her competitiveness, the fact she could play on all the surfaces.
Speaker 1: There are so many brilliant matches over the years in
Speaker 1: tennis that involve her, So it was really cool to
Speaker 1: remember that.
Speaker 2: Yeah, absolutely, and we'll be back next week with another
Speaker 2: episode of the sit Down. Please remember to subscribe so
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Speaker 2: love you to leave us a rating and review.
Speaker 1: See you next week, Matt, See then, Viv