Kerber comeback after 18 months

German women’s tennis is a bit dormant at the moment. Although there are promising talents, there are currently no German players at the top. So it’s all the better that Angelique Kerber hasn’t hung up her racket yet and wants to attack again this season. In our Jasmine Paolini vs Angelique Kerber betting tip, we take a look at whether the former world number one can cause a sensation in her comeback

The United Cup 2024 is the first step in the preparation for the Australian Open, which will begin in Melbourne in mid-January. Angelique Kerber is sure to be involved thanks to her Protected Ranking, but now has to see that she builds up the form to be competitive. Alongside Alexander Zverev, the 2018 Wimbledon winner will first try to have fun on her comeback.

Jasmine Paolini will be a tough task right at the start in the Ken Rosewall Arena in Sydney. The Italian is number 20 in the WTA rankings and made a big leap in the 2023 rankings. Now she is set to take the next step. The odds are not even that clear before the match, but the prediction in the duel between Jasmine Paolini and Angelique Kerber is initially for a win for the Italian

The group winner will be determined in Sydney between Germany, Italy and France and will progress to the quarter-finals. The best group runner-up from the three pools, which will be held in the 2000 Olympic city, will also make the quarter-finals. It will probably be difficult for the DTB team to advance to the next round. An opening win for Angelique Kerber would certainly help, but after 18 months without a competition, there is a lack of belief

Jasmine Paolini – statistics & current form

Current world ranking: 30
Position in the seeding list: unseeded

Although the Italian team will be competing at the United Cup without their current best player, as Jannik Sinner will not be playing, the Italians must still be considered one of the favorites. After all, the men won the Davis Cup in November, while the women reached the final of the Billie Jean King Cup. If they have been able to maintain their form during the short break in the season, we can certainly expect a lot from Italy

Great form in the season finale

Jasmine Paolini was an important piece of the puzzle for the Italian women’s success at the Billie Jean King Cup. On her way to the final, she won all three of her matches as number one for Squadra Azzura and only then had to concede defeat to Canada’s Leylah Fernandez in the grand final. She may now be able to confirm these successes Down Under.

In general, 2023 was a very decent year for the 27-year-old, even though she hardly left a mark at the major tournaments. Instead, she reached two finals in one season for the first time. However, she was beaten in both Palermo and Monastir in Tunisia. That leaves her with one tournament win in Portoroz, Slovenia, in September 2021.

The Italian developed really well late on and has only now established herself as one of the world’s top players. Seven wins from the last nine matches show that her form was very strong before the break. As always after a few weeks without competition, the question is whether this form will continue

Angelique Kerber – statistics & current form

Current world ranking: 31 (Protected Ranking)
Position in the seeding list: unseeded

We know the examples of female athletes who have made a strong comeback after having a child. In tennis alone, Serena Williams and Tatjana Maria are two good examples of how you can return to your old strength after giving birth, even if everyday life with a child on the tour is of course completely different to when you can concentrate fully on the sport.

Last competition in 2022 at Wimbledon

Angelique Kerber has now not played a match under competitive conditions for 18 months. She last played matches in Wimbledon in the summer of 2022. It is therefore impossible to say anything about her current form. We can really only speculate as to what shape the former world number one will be in now. There will be a first indication on Saturday in Sydney

We assume that Angelique Kerber has prepared diligently for the new season and her comeback. However, the three-time winner of Grand Slam tournaments is very much about physicality and commitment. These attributes have undoubtedly suffered when you have to look after a newborn on the side. What’s more, the German is not getting any younger and will be 36 in January.

All of this does not exactly suggest that the new mother will make an overly successful comeback on tour. But anyone who knows her knows that she will leave everything on the court until the last rally. However, we don’t think it will be enough on Saturday and are more likely to predict a 2-0 win for the Italian between Jasmine Paolini and Angelique Kerber

Jasmine Paolini – Angelique Kerber head-to-head comparison / H2H result

At 28, Jasmine Paolini is certainly no longer a newcomer on the WTA Tour. As a rule, however, the Italian has played in smaller tournaments or has already retired early from Grand Slams and Masters. There would have been plenty of opportunities for the two women to play each other, but Saturday will be the first meeting between the Italian and the German

Jasmine Paolini – Angelique Kerber tip

Jasmine Paolini is in the best phase of her career. At the end of the season, she was knocking on the door of the top 30 and has briefly broken through in between. The Italian was particularly strong in October and November, reaching the final in Monastir and playing a key role in the Italian women reaching the final of the Billie Jean King Cup.

She will be doing everything in her power to continue on her positive path in the new season, and ideally wants to start in the old year.

Angelique Kerber will find it difficult to regain a foothold on the WTA Tour. She is still protected by the Protected Ranking, but she will hardly be able to cause a sensation. This is by no means a swansong, but we think it’s unlikely that the German will return to her former strength. That’s why we’ve decided to play the odds on a clear two-set victory for the Italian between Jasmine Paolini and Angelique Kerber