What Happened to Sofia Kenin? The Tennis Star’s Struggles and Comeback
Sofia Kenin is a tennis star who won the Australian Open in 2020 and was named the WTA Player of the Year.
She was also the runner-up at the French Open and reached the fourth spot in the world rankings.
However, since then, she has faced several challenges and setbacks, both on and off the court.
She has dropped to 426th in the world rankings and has not played a Grand Slam match since Wimbledon 2021.
What happened to Sofia Kenin and can she bounce back?
Here are some facts you need to know about her personal and professional life.
Sofia Kenin’s Age
Sofia Kenin was born on November 14, 1998, in Moscow, Russia
is 25 years old as of 2023. She has blonde hair and blue eyes.
She is 5 feet 7 inches tall and weighs around 63 kg.
holds American citizenship and has Russian ancestry.
moved to the United States with her family when she was a baby and grew up in Pembroke Pines, Florida.
attended Kaplan Preparatory School and graduated in 2017.
Sofia Kenin’s Father: Alex Kenin
Sofia Kenin’s father is Alex Kenin, who is also her coach.
was born in Moscow, Russia, and worked as a taxi driver before becoming a tennis coach.
introduced Sofia to tennis when she was five years old and taught her the basics of the game.
also supported her career by driving her to tournaments and arranging practice sessions with other players.
Kevin has been her main coach throughout her career, although she has also worked with other coaches such as Rick Macci and Nick Bollettieri.
Alex Kenin is very close to his daughter and often accompanies her to tournaments.
He is also very vocal and expressive during her matches, cheering her on or showing his frustration.
He has been praised for his dedication and passion, but also criticized for being too controlling and demanding.
In January 2023, Sofia Kenin announced that she had parted ways with her father as her coach.
it was a mutual decision and they needed a break from each other.
she still loved him and that he would always be her dad.
She did not reveal who would be her new coach.
Sofia Kenin’s Boyfriend: Max Wenders
Sofia Kenin’s boyfriend is Max Wenders, who is also a tennis coach.
was born in Belgium and played college tennis at Texas A&M University.
graduated in 2019 with a degree in business administration.
He then became a tennis coach at IMG Academy in Florida, where he met Sofia Kenin.
started dating in August 2021 and made their relationship public on Instagram.
often post pictures of themselves together, showing their affection and support for each other.
They also travel together to tournaments and train together.
Max Wenders is also Sofia Kenin’s hitting partner and helps her with her game.
has been credited for improving her serve and forehand.
He has also been seen giving her advice and encouragement during matches.
Sofia Kenin’s Injury: Appendicitis Surgery
Sofia Kenin suffered a major setback in February 2021 when she had to undergo an emergency appendectomy after losing in the second round of the Australian Open.
She said that she felt abdominal pain after her match against Kaia Kanepi and went to the hospital for a check-up.
was diagnosed with acute appendicitis and had to have surgery immediately.
She said that it was a scary experience and that she was lucky to have caught it early.
thanked her fans for their support and said that she hoped to recover soon.
missed several tournaments due to her surgery, including the Dubai Tennis Championships, the Qatar Open, and the Miami Open.
returned to action in April 2021 at the Volvo Car Open, where she reached the quarterfinals before losing to Ons Jabeur.
Sofia Kenin’s Injury: Foot Injury
Sofia Kenin suffered another injury in June 2021 when she injured her foot during the French Open.
she felt pain in her left foot after her fourth-round match against Maria Sakkari, which she lost in three sets.
She said that she had an MRI scan that revealed a stress fracture in her foot.
it was a serious injury that required rest and recovery.
Sofia was disappointed to miss some important tournaments, including Wimbledon, the Olympics, and the US Open.
missed several months of action due to her foot injury, dropping out of the top 100 in the world rankings.
returned to competition in October 2021 at the BGL BNP Paribas Luxembourg Open, where she lost in the first round to Dalila Jakupovic.
Sofia Kenin’s Comeback: Wimbledon 2023
Sofia Kenin made a remarkable comeback in July 2023 when she reached the semifinals of Wimbledon, her best result at the grass-court Grand Slam.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CneKAoTPeJV/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
said that she was happy to be back on the court and that she felt confident and motivated.
Sofia said that she had worked hard on her game and fitness during her injury layoff and that she had also improved her mental strength and attitude.
learned to enjoy tennis more and not put too much pressure on herself.
beat several tough opponents on her way to the semifinals, including seventh seed Coco Gauff, 11th seed Belinda Bencic, and 19th seed Elena Rybakina.
lost in the semifinals to top seed Ashleigh Barty in three sets but said that she was proud of her performance and that she had nothing to lose.
hoped to build on her Wimbledon run and get back to the top of women’s tennis.
I am looking forward to playing in more tournaments and to challenging for more titles.
What happened to Sofia Kenin?
She had a difficult and disappointing season in 2021 and 2022, struggling with injuries and personal issues.
She dropped out of the top 400 in the world rankings and did not play a Grand Slam match for a year.
However, she made a stunning comeback in 2023, reaching the semifinals of Wimbledon and showing signs of her old form.
She is still engaged to her boyfriend Max Wenders, who is also her coach.
She is still recovering from her foot injury and has not yet decided who will be her new coach after parting ways with her father.
Sources
1: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sofia_Kenin
2: https://www.tennismajors.com/wta-tour-news/sofia-kenin-who-she-really-is-80029.html
3: https://www.sportingnews.com/us/tennis/news/sofia-kenin-coco-gauff-wimbledon-rankings/pafx2p0okiio3jxtwvaksrit
4: https://www.givemesport.com/88051152-sofia-kenin-whats-happened-to-the-young-prodigy-former-player-of-the-year/
5: https://www.essentiallysports.com/wta-tennis-news-miami-open-sofia-kenin-suffers-a-fresh-setback-withdraws-from-miami-open/
6: https://celebdoko.com/tennis-what-happened-to-sofia-kenin-face-boyfriend-family-and-net-worth-2022/
If you found this article impressive visit more on our blog page:
