Sofia Kenin has surprised the tennis world after reaching the Australian Open final, where she will face Garbine Muguruza for the title. Sofia is coached by her father Alex that had to emigrate with his family back in the days from Russia to the US. However, things were not really easy for them especially at the beginning when they could not even speak English.
During a press conference in Melbourne, Alex explained what they went through. After leaving the Soviet Union in 1987, he got day-time computer and English classes while during the night-time, he was working for a car driving service.
Alex commented: “[Our hardship] gives her some toughness. I don’t think she experienced that much, all the sacrifices that we had to go through, but she knows about them. And when we just got to the country, that was very, very, very, very tough. I had to work at night, go to school in the morning, and to drive in New York without speaking English.
On the radio they were telling me to go, I didn’t know the words that they said. It was very tough.”
Kenin at the Australian Open, ranking, and results in 2020
Now the world no.15, the American has a 8-2 win-loss record in 2020. Kenin is currently having a run at the Australian Open where she bested Martina Trevisan 6-2 6-4, Ann Li 6-1 6-3, Shuai Zhang 7-5 7-67, Cori Gauff 6-75 6-3 6-0, Ons Jabeur 6-4 6-4 and Ashleigh Barty 7-66 7-5.
Muguruza at the Australian Open, ranking, and results in 2020
Currently the world no.32, the Spaniard has a 11-1 win-loss record in 2020. Garbine is now playing at the Australian Open where she toppled Shelby Rogers 0-6 6-1 6-0, Ajla Tomljanovic 6-3 3-6 6-3, Elina Svitolina 6-1 6-2, Kiki Bertens 6-3 6-3, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 7-5 6-3 and Simona Halep 7-68 7-5.
Muguruza won 7 titles in her career: 5 on hard courts, 1 on clay courts and 1 on grass courts. (See the list of her titles)
Sofia Kenin and Garbine Muguruza played each other 1 time. The head to head is 1-0 for Kenin.
The last time that they fought against each other, Sofia Kenin won 6-0 2-6 6-2 in the 1st round in Beijing (China Open) in September 2019.
In the following video you can watch the highlights.
