With the US Open beginning in less than a week’s time, Angelique Kerber is enjoying a return to form. After reaching the semifinals of the Cincinnati Open, the German looks a far different player when compared to the beginning of the 2021 season.

Recently, Kerber spoke about her performance in the final warmup tournament ahead of the hard court Grand Slam.

Angelique Kerber reviews semifinal run in Cincinnati

The former World No. 1 suffered a shock first-round exit to unseeded Bernarda Pera in straight sets in the Australian Open. Although she put in decent performances in later tournaments, she suffered another first-round exit to Anhelina Kalinina in the French Open.

However, the Wimbledon Championships became a major turning point in Kerber‘s 2021 season. En route to the semifinal, she defeated Coco Gauff and Karolina Muchova in impressive fashion. She lost to eventual champion Ashleigh Barty in the semifinals.

At the Cincinnati Open, the 33-year-old enjoyed similar success, reaching the semifinals once again. However, history repeated itself as she lost to Barty in straight sets. Days after the event, Kerber revealed the tournament helped her prepare well for the upcoming US Open.

She said, “It was a great week with tight matches against tough opponents. I felt really good after my break and was able to produce my best tennis over longer stretches. The tournament is fantastic preparation for the US Open. I’ll be travelling to New York with a good feeling.”

READ MORE: Angelique Kerber Reveals Reason That Helped Her Heal From the Loss at Wimbledon Championships 2021

Kerber gained five places in the latest WTA rankings

Following her recent success, Kerber received a huge five-place jump in the latest WTA Rankings. As it stands, the German will head into the US Open as the World No. 17.

Although she won the title in 2016, the German might not have as high a chance of winning as five years ago. However, one cannot count Kerber out at the moment, given her semifinal runs in Wimbledon and Cincinnati.

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