Sofia Kenin is a professional tennis player from Russia. She made her first appearance in the US Open Top 100 in 2021 as an amateur. As a junior, she became the first female player ever to win the USTA Women’s 18s National title at the age of sixteen. After this achievement, it was assumed that she would immediately join the ranks of womens’ top players such as Serena Williams and Kim Clijsters.
However, it was not until she won another major event for the first time at the Australian Open in Brisbane, Australia in February this year that Sofia Kenin really raised eyebrows and sparked interest from the public. Not long after her victory, word leaked out that Sofia Kenin was actually from Russia by birth. The reaction was quite violent things were said about both the tennis star and the country of her birth. Was she stealing the spotlight away from Serena Williams? Or was she truly a talent like Williams, someone who had been tipped as a potential star but had yet to fully live up to this potential?
The truth of the matter is that Sofia Kenin has performed admirably throughout her short career as an international player. However, the public’s view on her may be premature and unneeded due to the fact that she hasn’t reached any significant achievements yet. It is understandable that people only become interested in tennis when a player makes a major breakthrough, but as Serena Williams has proven over again, no player makes a major breakthrough without providing fans with an exceptional performance. While Kenin has yet to exhibit the ability that will make her a favorite among competitors, there is no doubt that she has the beauty and poise of a woman who belongs among the great female tennis players of the world.