Across the last two weeks of December, Baseline will dish out awards for the greatest acts of 2018.
After winning two majors and reaching the top spot in the rankings in a single season, the follow-up campaign can be a difficult one as the player adjusts to their new place in the game; just ask Angelique Kerber.
Coming off a dream season in 2016 in which she won the Australian Open and US Open, the German suffered through a comparatively disastrous 2017, as she reached only one final and fell out of the Top 20.
With no points to defend and all eyes off her, Kerber entered 2018 under the radar and more relaxed. Turning 30 in January, she got off to a perfect start, with an undefeated run at the Hopman Cup and the title in Sydney. It wasn’t until the semifinals of the Australian Open that she finally lost, falling 9-7 in the third to Simona Halep.
Over the next several months, she continued to play consistent tennis, going deep into draws on hard and clay courts. It was on the grass where she solidified her status as a future Hall of Famer.