Living ‘American Dream,’ Kenin wins her 1st Grand Slam title
21-year-old rallies after 1st set, defeats Muguruza
MELBOURNE, Australia — Back in 1987, 11 years before new Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin was born, her parents left Moscow for New York City, eager to escape the Soviet Union and live in the United States because, as her father, Alex, put it: “You want to see the world. You want a better future for your kids.”
Alex took English classes and attended computer school during the day; he drove for a car service at night, straining to understand the dispatcher’s radioed instructions.
“It was very tough,” he says now, “but it’s amazing the things you do when you need to survive.”
Just before Sofia was born, the family briefly returned to Russia so Grandma and other relatives could help with the baby. A few months later, the Kenins went back to New York. Eventually, they settled in Pembroke Pines, Florida, and it was in the driveway of their home there that Sofia, at age 3½, found her calling. “I wasn’t into any other toys. I always liked to play with balls and with a racket. So my dad said, ‘Let’s go try it and play.’ Obviously I had great hand-eye coordination. I saw I was really different than other players,” she said, a Champagne flute an arm’s length away as she spoke with a small group of reporters after Saturday had turned to Sunday at Melbourne Park. “And people said, ‘You know she’s really special. Something about her.’ ... And look where I am.”
Indeed, look at where, and who, she is: owner of a Grand Slam trophy and expected to be No. 7 — the highest U.S. woman currently — when the WTA rankings are released Monday.
Kenin won the last four games of the final at Melbourne
Park with some gutsy play at the most crucial moments, beating twotime major winner Garbiñe Muguruza 4-6, 6-2, 6-2.
One key sequence decided the outcome.
Kenin faced three break points while serving at 2-all, love-40 in the third set. All she did was conjure up an ace and four pointending groundstrokes on exchanges that all lasted 11 shots or more.
“She pulled out something unbelievable,” said Alex Kenin, who is his daughter’s coach and calls her “Sonya,” the Russian nickname for Sofia.
In all, Kenin converted five of six break points and erased 10 of Muguruza’s 12.
“Especially in the important moments, I think,” Muguruza said, “she came out with winners.”
Muguruza said she thought Kenin handled the emotions of a major final debut well and didn’t seem to show any jitters. Alex Kenin, though, said he