Sofia Kenin

Sofia Anna "Sonya" Kenin is an American professional tennis player who has reached career-high WTA rankings of world No. 4 in singles and No. 21 in doubles. Coached primarily by her father, she achieved major international prominence by winning the 2020 Australian Open singles title and finishing as the runner-up at the 2020 French Open. Her performances in 2020 earned her the WTA Player of the Year award. She has won five singles titles and four doubles titles on the WTA Tour, including doubles victories at the 2019 China Open and the 2024 Miami Open alongside Bethanie Mattek-Sands.

Born Sofia Aleksandrovna Kenina in Moscow, Russia, to Alexander Kenin and Svetlana Kenina, she grew up in a Jewish family with a younger sister. Her family relocated to the United States a few months after her birth. Kenin began playing tennis at age five, inspired by her father. Her parents arranged for her to train under Rick Macci in Florida for seven years, and she also worked with Nick Bollettieri. A standout youth player, Kenin achieved the No. 1 USTA national ranking across the 12, 14, 16, and 18-and-under divisions.

Kenin reached No. 2 in the ITF junior rankings. In 2014, she helped the United States win the Junior Fed Cup and won the Orange Bowl tournament. The following year, she won the USTA International Spring Championships and the USTA Girls 18s National Championship, which earned her a wild card into the 2015 US Open main draw. She also finished as runner-up in the 2015 US Open girls' singles event.

Kenin made her Grand Slam main draw debut at the 2015 US Open. After winning her first two ITF titles in 2016, she advanced to the third round of the 2017 US Open, which convinced her to turn professional. In 2018, Kenin broke into the top 100 and top 50, earning her first career top-ten victories against Caroline Garcia at the Mallorca Open and Julia Görges at the Wuhan Open.

In 2019, Kenin won her first three WTA singles titles at the Hobart International, the Mallorca Open, and the Guangzhou International Open. She also captured doubles titles at the Auckland Open and China Open. During the season, she defeated world No. 1 players Ashleigh Barty and Naomi Osaka in back-to-back weeks and upset Serena Williams at the French Open. Ending the year ranked No. 14 in singles, she received the 2019 WTA Most Improved Player of the Year award.

Kenin achieved her breakthrough major title at the 2020 Australian Open, defeating Ash Barty in the semifinals and Garbiñe Muguruza in the final. This made her the youngest American woman to win a Grand Slam singles title since 2002 and propelled her to world No. 4. She later won the Lyon Open, reached the fourth round of the US Open, and finished runner-up at the French Open.