NEW YORK—Angelique Kerber defeated Serena Williams in the Australian Open final and will surpass Serena for the world No. 1 ranking on Monday.
Kerber has done more than trade places with Williams, she's given younger players the belief they can compete with the 34-year-old American, says Martina Navratilova.
US Open: Women's Final Preview
"I think it's not changing of the guard, but it's definitely narrowing of the field," Navratilova told the media at the US Open today. "Now, actually, we have the real shift that Kerber is No. 1. But we also know that had Serena played a full schedule, most likely she would not have lost that No.1 ranking.
"At the same time, how can you be No. 1 when you only play eight tournaments? Amazing that she was still No. 1 having only played eight tournaments. So there is a whole bunch of stuff going on, but the younger generation is definitely catching up."
Williams defeated Kerber in the Wimbledon final to capture her Open Era record-tying 22nd Grand Slam championship.
While Williams' three Grand Slam final appearances this season would be considered a career year for most players, the fact that she lost two of those three finals gives opponents confidence, says Navratilova.
"To me, the biggest surprise was Serena had lost the two finals at slams and then a semifinal," Navratilova said. "Usually in years past she gets more caught out in the first week, not the second week. People are maybe feeling now, I think Kerber set it up. Once she beat Serena there, everybody thought, Oh, we have a chance.
"Collective confidence the field gets depending on how the other players do against that player, not just how they do it. So it's funny how that affects other players."
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