"A brutal competitor" - Sofia Kenin's mental toughness praised by former coach Rick Macci

| by Alex Waite

Sofia Kenin's former coach Rick Macci has praised the 24-year-old's tactical game and mental toughness.

Macci coached Kenin during her junior career before the pair split in 2010. Kenin rose to number four in the WTA rankings in 2020 after fast-tracked success. In 2020, Kenin became one of the youngest players to win the Australian Open when she beat Garbine Muguruza in three sets in the final and she reached the French Open final.

However, Macci has followed Kenin's career and development closely ever since and the coach has been particularly impressed with American's tactical approach to the game.

2023 Qatar Open Doha WTA Draw with Gauff, Pegula, Kenin & more
2023 Qatar Open Doha WTA Draw with Gauff, Pegula, Kenin & more

"She's not gonna blow through you, like a Venus or Serena or Mary Pierce or Sharapova. But, she understood the geometry of the court. She bisected the court correctly, had a great drop shot, a brutal competitor."

Macci said to The Functional Tennis Podcast

Following Kenin's rise in the women's game, Macci applauded the 24-year-old's mental toughness and focus, which he believes sets her apart from opponents.

"Mentally, she had that box checked. A bomb could go off on the next court and she'd be still looking at me and that's why I come up with this...' she's a scary sort of creature I have ever taught,"

Macci on Kenin's mentality

Despite her rise, Kenin has struggled at the beginning of the 2023 season and has fallen down the WTA rankings recently. The American reached the semi-final of the Hobart Open but was eliminated from the Australian Open after a first-round defeat to Victoria Azarenka in straight sets.

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