Kerber targeted Wimbledon after 2017 disappointment

Angelique Kerber did not contend in a single grand slam in 2017, but she targeted the Wimbledon title from the off this year.

Angelique Kerber revealed winning Wimbledon was her main goal in a bid to move on from a disappointing 2017 season.

The German star triumphed at the Australian Open and US Open in 2016, as well as reaching the Wimbledon final, but she failed to progress past the fourth round at any grand slam in 2017.

However, Kerber is back on track after following up a semi-final in Melbourne and a French Open quarter-final by winning her first All England Club title, defeating Serena Williams 6-3 6-3 to avenge the loss to the same opponent two years earlier.

Kerber, who climbed to number four in the WTA rankings as a result of her third major, had targeted Wimbledon from the start of the season and was delighted to see her tunnel-visioned focus pay off.

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"I found my motivation again after a bad year in 2017. I had already celebrated successes in 2016, but it was important for me that I found my motivation again," she told a news conference in Stuttgart.

"I said to myself [after 2017], 'I want to win this Wimbledon title.' This was the big objective I set at the beginning of the year. I desperately wanted to win this title. These two weeks were like a mission for me. I did not look left or right, but I was totally focused on myself every day - and it worked. Now I need a few days to calm down and to realise what I achieved."

"There hasn't been much time and I've experienced so much in the last few days, especially the [champions'] dance with [Novak] Djokovic. Slowly I am realising that I am Wimbledon champion. It is something I dreamed of for my whole life. I haven't slept much, but it has been nice."

And Kerber believes her past experiences have allowed her to enjoy this win more than the others.

"Winning Wimbledon is different. To win my third grand slam title at Wimbledon is very special for me," she said, adding, "At the moment, it's the climax of my career. I am glad that it's my third grand slam title and not my first, because now I know what to expect so I can enjoy it a bit more. I know how to deal with it."

"I want to enjoy this moment and be thankful for what I have experienced in the last few years, even 2017."