Getting fitter made Angelique Kerber a better player.
The world No. 1 told CNN's Open Court she was inspired to hit the gym after seeing Serena Williams and other players getting stronger.
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“A few years ago, I was actually not so fit,” Kerber told CNN. “I saw a lot of tennis players getting fitter and fitter so I started going to the gym every day or sometimes I went twice (a day) to the gym.”
Devotion to her health has paid major dividends. Kerber won both of her Grand Slam titles and attained the world No. 1 ranking after adopting a fitness regimen.
“Right now I’m one of the fittest players in the world,” Kerber said. “It’s strange, but it helps you really to reach your goals at the end.”
Kerber dispensed her top work-out tips to CNN:
*Have a plan. Know the exercises you’ll do and the length of your workout before you enter the gym.
*Mix it up to keep it fun and prevent monotony.
*Be sure to train your entire body.
“For tennis you must be focusing on every single part of your body,” Kerber said. “It’s important to do a lot of shoulder things, your legs are important. Also the stability in the back, also weights and cardio. So for the tennis player, it’s important to do everything. So your body must be really fit and also healthy of course.”
The cross-training Kerber attended the Miami Heat game on Tuesday night. Wearing a Heat No. 1 jersey, Kerber hit some balls into the crowd.
Photo credit: @BNPParibasOpen