Kerber, Goerges to headline inaugural Berlin grass tournament

BERLIN, Germany - The WTA's return to the German capital after a 12-year absence for the 2020 Grass Court Championships Berlin will be headlined by the country's two highest-ranked players, 2018 Wimbledon champion Angelique Kerber and Julia Goerges, the tournament announced today.

"Tournaments in Germany always have a special incentive," said Goerges, who reached the semifinals of Wimbledon in 2018 and was runner-up to Ashleigh Barty in Birmingham this year, in a press conference at the Rot-Weiss Tennis Club, the tournament's venue in the west of the city. "Playing on grass in Berlin is something very special. As in the past, Berlin will continue to be one of the highlights of the ladies' tour in the future, so I'm really looking forward to being here next year."

Barbara Rittner, who captained Germany's Fed Cup team for 13 years and who is the director of the Premier-level event to be held June 13-21, 2020, said: "Coming back to Berlin and knowing that we will play another WTA tournament here from 2020 onwards is fantastic. I have so many beautiful memories of this tournament."

The Grass Court Championships Berlin will be held in partnership with Wimbledon, and Ian Hewitt, vice-chairman of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, reaffirmed the close relationship between the two events, saying: "We at the All England Club are committed to making our contribution to a strong and successful grass season and to ensuring that players find the best ways to play and train on grass in the run-up to the Wimbledon Championships."

Dietrich Wolter, president of the Rot-Weiss Tennis Club, added: "The Rot-Weiss Tennis Club is proud to be an international tournament club again, as is its tradition. Thus we close the gap left by our last traditional tournament in 2008, the German Ladies' Open. The sports city of Berlin as well as the enthusiastic and expert Berlin audience have been waiting for such a first-class tournament for many years."