Angelique Kerber Bows Out of Tennis at Paris Olympics

German tennis star Angelique Kerber retired from professional tennis after losing in the quarter-finals at the Paris Olympics to Chinese player Zheng Qinwen. Kerber, a three-time Grand Slam champion, had announced her retirement following the 2023 Olympics. She expressed pride in her accomplished career and received a standing ovation.

German veteran Angelique Kerber officially retired from professional tennis on Wednesday, exiting at the Paris Olympics after a gut-wrenching quarter-final match against China's Zheng Qinwen. The 36-year-old, returning from maternity leave just this January, delivered her best performance of the year by reaching the last eight.

Kerber, a three-time Grand Slam champion, expressed satisfaction with her illustrious career, which includes victories at the 2016 Australian Open and U.S. Open, as well as the Wimbledon title in 2018. "I've achieved everything I dreamt of," Kerber stated, reflecting on her accomplishments, including a silver medal at Rio 2016.

Despite leading in the third set, Kerber couldn't maintain momentum and ceded the match to Zheng, who emerged victorious with a barrage of powerful shots. Zheng now follows in the footsteps of Li Na, becoming only the second Chinese player to reach the singles semi-finals at an Olympic Games.

(With inputs from agencies.)