Sofia Kenin enjoys many firsts in ’19
Who is Sofia Kenin, who upset Serena Williams on Saturday in the Round of 32 in the Roland-Garros/French Open? Some things to know about her:
1. The American is only 20 years old: To put that in perspective, Kenin was 4 months old when Serena won her first WTA Tour title (in the Gaz de France tournament) in early 1999. And she had not yet celebrated her first birthday when Serena won her first Grand Slam tournament title in the 1999 U.S. Open.
2. She also goes by the name “Sonya”: So don’t be confused if you see her called Sonya Kenin. She also is coached by her father, Alexander Kenin.
3. Kenin is ranked No. 35 in the world: That seems likely to change now after she defeated the No. 10 player in the world.
4. She won her first WTA title this year: On the singles side, Kenin won her first WTA title in Hobart, Tasmania, in January and jumped to a career-high No. 33 ranking worldwide. She won her first doubles tournament title earlier that month with Genie Bouchard in Auckland, New Zealand.
5. This is the first time Kenin has advanced to the second week of a Grand Slam tournament: She will face world No. 8 Ashleigh Barty on Monday in the fourth round.
6. She was born in Moscow: But she moved to the USA when she was a child and now lives in Pembroke Pines, Florida.
7. She was a big Andy Roddick fan growing up: And she had a plan for beating him when she was 7 years old.
8. Kenin likes being a tourist: Even when she’s playing overseas, it’s clear from her social media accounts that she enjoys sightseeing and exploring the different cities she’s in.