Former Doubles No. 1 Faults Kenin Father's 'Dishelved' Look During San Diego Final
Former WTA doubles No. 1 Pam Shriver was amazed by the reaction of Sofia Kenin's father, who appeared flustered during the San Diego Open final.
Kenin, playing in her first WTA final since 2020, was beaten in three sets by Barbora Krejcikova. It was a battle between two former Grand Slam champions looking to summon their confidence and success of the yesteryears. Despite losing the match, Kenin surged into the Top 60 in the latest WTA Rankings.
While watching the match, Pam Shriver couldn't help but notice Kenin's father, sitting courtside, being disconcerted with a hand on his head. Shriver, who works as a pundit, shared a screenshot on X, and was critical of his appearance, terming it as 'disheveled'. Shriver felt that it was inappropriate as it exuded negative energy to the player, who, in this case, was her daughter.
"A coach or Dad should not look this disheveled while watching their kid play… especially a final. (Btw don’t show me when my kid is playing a big final at 4-4 in final set!"
She may have fallen short in landing the ultimate prize, but Kenin enjoyed an upturn in fortunes in California. She arrived at the event having not played any tune-up tournaments leading to the US Open, where she lost in the second round to Daria Kasatkina.
But the signs are positive, and Kenin's game appears to be heading in the right trajectory, thanks largely to the presence of her father, who returned to coaching her again since the start of last season. And Kenin acknowledged his support during an emotional post-match trophy presentation.
"I have many great memories coming here. Playing at Barnes.. when I won the wildcard, it brings a lot of great memories here. I want to thank my dad and everyone back home for supporting me."
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