Angelique Kerber enjoyed an outstanding 2018.

She beat Serena Williams in the final of Wimbledon to claim her third grand slam title and finished the season ranked No.2 in the world, 20 places higher than where she started the year.

She again chose to start her Australian summer in Perth, partnering Alexander Zverev at the Hopman Cup.

And why wouldn’t she?

The 30-year-old won her first 14 matches of the 2018 summer; four at the Hopman Cup, five at the Sydney International (including the final) and five at the Australian Open.

She lost the semi-final in Melbourne to world No.1 Simona Halep 9-7 in an epic three-setter.

But despite that great run, Kerber has her focus firmly set on 2019, refusing to look back at last season; which also saw her replace coach Wim Fissette with 2003 Australian Open finalist Rainer Schuettler.

“I am not a person who makes a decision overnight,” Kerber said of the change.

“I was thinking about this a long time already.

“For me it was a good decision. It is a new year. Like last year, when I was here, I was not thinking about 2017.

“Now I am not thinking about 2018. It is a new year and for me it is important to play good tennis, trying to improve my tennis as well.”

“We really had a good off-season; a tough one. He knows me as a player.

“He was a player as well, so he knows what it is like to be on court and feeling the pressure, feeling all of the things going on in your mind.

“It is the beginning.”