Sofia Kenin hasn't had too much success lately, but she's been on a tear recently with amazing performances in San Diego and at the 2023 Guadalajara Open.
As a former Grand Slam champion, Sofia Kenin has very little to prove as a tennis player, but she's a brutal competitor, according to noted tennis coach Rick Macci, so she was never going to 'fade' into irrelevance.
There has been a lot of heartbreak for the American in recent years, with many injury problems preventing her from playing regularly on the WTA Tour. As tennis is a sport of continuity, it saw her fall behind watching some other players turning the spotlight onto themselves.
Kenin didn't mind and kept working towards a return, and she's finally seeing the hard work pay off. After foreshadowing a surge at Wimbledon by beating Coco Gauff, Kenin finally broke through at the San Diego Open, advancing to the final. She didn't win the trophy but proved to herself that she can still battle for trophies, and she's not too far from battling for another one in Guadalajara.
A win over Leylah Fernandez sent her to the semi-final of the WTA 1000 event in Mexico with a big chance to book another final. Heavy tape on her leg caused some concern, but she played down any injury concerns, explaining that it was just a protective measure as she was feeling some tightness there. She attributes it to playing a lot lately.
My quad is just a little bit tight. Nothing serious. I played a lot of matches so it's obviously normal that it's a bit tight. I just wanted to put some tape just to protect it.
Kenin will take on fellow American Caroline Dolehide for a spot in the final later today and if she wins, she'll contest her biggest trophy in two years. More importantly, she'll see her ranking improve dramatically, allowing for an easier path in the upcoming events.
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