Sofia Kenin's season is over after the former Australian Open champion elected to withdraw from the Guadalajara Open.
Nearly three years have passed since Kenin's stunning run to the 2020 Australian Open title. It was one of the most unexpected Grand Slam triumphs of the 21st century, turning her into a worldwide star.
The American also reached the final of that year's French Open. That increased the expectations on Kenin's shoulders for 2021 and beyond since the 23-year-old proved she can challenge the best players.
However, a challenging 2021 followed before a truly awful 2022. Kenin repeatedly lost matches in the season's opening months before sustaining a serious ankle injury in March that ruled her out for over four months.
Her fortunes have not improved since returning in August. The former Australian Open winner's only victories were in Cleveland, where she reached the quarterfinal. Every other appearance ended in an opening-round loss.
Kenin had been set to compete at the Guadalajara Open in Mexico but has decided to end her season instead. Taking a chance to mentally refresh before the 2023 season might be a wise and much-needed decision.
The American is currently ranked outside the Top 300. That is a startling fall from grace for someone who was the world No. 4 in March 2020. Returning to that position at some stage feels like it may never happen.
Right now, Kenin needs to find some confidence. Someone as talented as her cannot stay at the level she has been at throughout 2022 (when not injured) forever, and improvement will surely come.
Kenin clearly thinks no good will come from continuing to play after such a terrible season. The only way is up for her, and having that mindset might help Kenin when she returns to the court in 2023.