Angelique Kerber’s Grand Slam timeline shows her absence in the simplest terms – five successive dashes since Wimbledon 2022.
Life beyond the dashes has moved significantly and quickly since.
DRAW: Australian Open 2024 women's singles
In that time away, the Australian Open 2016 champion has welcomed a daughter, Liana, while on the tour she left behind, three new major champions have been lauded and the most dominant force in recent years has doubled her haul.
Having played her part in Germany’s United Cup team triumph in Sydney last week, Kerber already felt her decision to come back was validated.
“It was always in my mind to come back from the beginning. Of course, you never know how everything went, if everything is good, and how I feel, but that was my plan,” Kerber said.
“I love the sport, I love to play tennis. I already saw it last week with a lot of emotions again, a lot of dramas, up and downs, match points down. This is what I was missing, being on the court, seeing the fans and having the emotions out there.”
Not since 2019 when she was seeded second has the triple major winner attracted so much interest heading into the Australian Open.
“Wow, it’s like a cinema,” she beamed as she took her seat on Friday for the first time in Melbourne Park’s state-of-the-art main interview room, which was constructed in the years since she was a top-10 force.
One of just two women in the main draw to have triumphed at three of the four majors, alongside world No.1 Iga Swiatek, Kerber is also one of eight mothers in the field, joining the likes of fellow comeback Australian Open champions Naomi Osaka and Caroline Wozniacki.
Kerber and good friend Wozniacki, the AO 2018 champion, practised together on MCA ahead of their media commitments on Friday.
“I still have the fire, I guess it's still there,” Kerber said. “Of course, if you lose the match, I still need a little bit of time for myself.
“Now it's a little bit different because I just need a few minutes and I'm okay again because I need to be, but it is still there.
“Also, my team, they said it's still there. When I lose a match, because I hate to lose, it is still there. I think this doesn't change.”
Moving on quickly regardless of the outcome of her match has become a necessity since adding motherhood to her roles.
“Of course, if I'm back in the hotel I have to be again someone else,” she said. “It is nice. I feel… I'm a little bit more relaxed after that. I try to enjoy it even more on and off court, try to make things not too complicated like before.”
Kerber last reached the second week at Melbourne Park in 2020, a second consecutive fourth round defeat after she was unceremoniously shown the exit at AO 2019 having salvaged just two games.
Her conqueror that day, the fierce-striking American Danielle Collins, is her first-round opponent on Monday.
Collins went on to reach the semifinals in 2019 and three years later came up short against Ash Barty in her maiden Australian Open final.
Kerber conceded it was not the kindest first asking of her AO 2024 return.
She is keeping expectations in check though as she brings an end to that run of five dashes on the Slam CV.
“It's for sure a tough draw. I mean, she is a tough opponent,” she said. “She hits the ball very hard. I don't know if I will find my rhythm, to be honest… It is my first real tournament (of her comeback). For me being here, I am trying to play as good as I can and to see how far I can go.
“I know that I need patience for the next few months. I'm starting here to see how far I can go and how I will feel afterwards.”