Sofia Kenin once lost 0-6, 0-6 at the Italian Open, but this year, she upset a three-time Grand Slam finalist, Ons Jabeur.
Beating Jabeur on clay is always a notable feat because the Tunisian is one of the better players on the surface. Outside of that, Kenin is not the best player on the surface, but she did play in the Roland Garros final a few years ago.
It just shows that she can play well on any surface if she truly finds her level. Getting to this level took a while because she lost multiple matches in a row and only snapped her losing streak on the lower level of the WTA Tour.
Kenin went four months without a win, as her last win before the one recently was in January. She added her first win on the WTA Tour in Rome and now added another win.
This was the first time she won back-to-back matches since September of last year, so it's been a long time, but as Kenin put it, it was worth it.
"I definitely feel like I’ve come a long way. I’m not too happy with how this season was going, but I’m happy it’s going in the right direction. I feel like the hard work is paying off and the fact that I’m still fighting, training every day, working hard on my fitness, I was feeling like it was all going to come together at some point."
Kenin has certainly looked really decent this week. It's great to see her winning again, especially against some top players. Jabeur is not in top form herself, but it's still a great win for the American. Part of it is due to the conditions, which suit her better than Madrid.
"I love the surface, the courts here. They’re slow, which suit my conditions. There’s no altitude, which I love, so that definitely helps me. I’m not a fan of altitude. I just feel like I’m very comfortable here."