Kenin excited with teaming up with Serena Williams at the Fed Cup tie against Latvia

Sofia Kenin recorded the biggest achievement of her career last weekend. The 21-year-old American defeated Garbine Muguruza 4-6, 6-2, 6-2 to lift the Australian Open. The victory capped an incredible performance by the American who only dropped two sets in the tournament. She also defeated reigning world number one, Ashleigh Barty, in the semifinals. However, the celebrations will not last long for the new champion as she will be back on the court for the Fed Cup qualifiers next week.

Serena to play in Fed Cup qualifiers

The Australian Open champion will represent the United States in their Fed Cup tie against Latvia. Team USA has plenty of great tennis players, with the most recognizable being Serena Williams. The 23-time Grand Slam champion had a disappointing run at the Australian Open, losing to Chinese player Wang Qiang in the third round. She will hope to put the disappointment behind her and help Team USA qualify for the Fed Cup Finals. Kenin has revealed that she is looking forward to playing with Serena in their Fed Cup matchup against Latvia.

Kenin the highest-ranked player on Team USA

Kenin will be the highest-ranked American player heading into their Fed Cup qualifying tie. After her victory in Australia, the 21-year-old will break into the top 10 and rank as the seventh-best player in the world. She will move ahead of Serena, who is currently 9^th on the rankings. In a recent interview, Kenin said it will be an honor to represent her country at the Fed Cup as the best-ranked player. Sofia also praised Serena for her contributions to the sport, saying she was excited to team up with her idol. “I’ve watched Serena. I’ve been following her, all the slams she’s been winning. It’s a special feeling just to be ahead of her. I can’t wait to compete, be on the same team with her in Fed Cup.”

In addition to Kenin and Serena, Coco Gauff, Alison Riske, and Bethanie Mattek-Sands will play for Team USA. Gauff will be making her Fed Cup debut. The 15-year-old had a good run at the Australian Open, eliminating Venus Williams and Naomi Osaka before she fell to Kenin in the fourth round. Her good showing in Australia will see her move up the rankings from number 67 to number 51. The star-studded Team USA will be the favorites in their matchup against Latvia. Jelena Ostapenko, Anastasia Sevastova, Diana Marcinkevica, and Daniela Vismane will hope to upset the Americans. The match will take place on 7^th-8^th February in Washington.

Sofia Kenin’s ranking and performance in 2020

Now ranked no.7 (career-high), the American played her last match on the 1^st of February when she beat Garbine Muguruza 4-6 6-2 6-2 in the final in Australian Open to win her 3^rd career title.

This year Kenin has a 9-2 win-loss record. Kenin conquered 1 title at the Australian Open.

Serena Williams’s ranking and performance in 2020

Now ranked no.9, Serena played her last match on the 24^th of January when she surrendered to Qiang Wang 6-4 6-7² 7-5 in the 3^rd round in Australian Open.

During this season the American has a 7-1 win-loss record. Serena clinched 1 title in Auckland.

Sofia Kenin and Serena Williams played each other 1 time. The head to head is 1-0 for Kenin.

The last time that they played each other, Sofia Kenin won 6-2 7-5 in the 3^rd round in Paris (French Open) in June 2019.