In the semifinal tie against Czech Republic, Kerber dropped both her matches, to KarolÃna PlÃÅ¡ková and Petra Kvitová.
She then recorded her main draw debut year in , at the where she lost to in the opening round.
However, she then endured a three-match losing streak to begin her season on clay, snapping it on home soil in with a quarterfinal appearance, where she was beaten by PlÃÅ¡ková.
In the quarterfinals, she avenged her Brisbane loss by defeating two-time champion Victoria Azarenka in straight sets, her first win against the Belarusian, to advance to the third Grand Slam semifinal of her career, her first since Wimbledon in 2012.
Nevertheless, Kerber's strong results throughout the year thus far ensured herself qualification for the , which was announced on 22 August following the conclusion of the Cincinnati tournament.
She gained her revenge over Kvitová at first hurdle of the tournament the week after, before retiring against in the following round.