Sofia Kenin: "Nothing really new"
Sofia Kenin will hold her first official tournament in Dubai since winning the Australian Open. Too much has apparently not changed for the American since the triumph in Melbourne anyway.
by Nikolaus Fink
last edit: Feb 18, 2020, 07:50 am
"It's a different pressure. You have more expectations from the people around you." With these words, Sofia Kenin summed up the changes in her life since her first Grand Slam triumph at the Australian Open prior to the WTA tournament in Dubai.
For the 21-year-old, everything remained the same. "I've always been tough on myself. I want to play well in every tournament I go to. It's nothing really new," the American says before her opening game against Elena Rybakina - and helped her with that the Fed Cup appearance in her home country.
Two wins in the Fed Cup
Kenin contributed a single and a colon to the competitive home win against Latvia and was, despite a loss to Jelena Ostapenko, a guarantee for the narrow 3-2 victory of the US women. "I think it was better to play in the Fed Cup than to take a few days off."
This helped her maintain the rhythm and momentum. "Hopefully this will help me here," said the world ranking seventh. Kenin in Dubai should not influence expectations from outside according to its own statements. It will be interesting to see whether this will actually be the case.