History of Sofia Kenin in Timeline

Sofia Kenin is a highly accomplished American professional tennis player. She achieved a career-high ranking of world No. 4 in singles and No. 26 in doubles. In 2020, she was named WTA Player of the Year after winning the Australian Open and reaching the French Open final. Kenin has secured five WTA singles titles and four WTA doubles titles, including the prestigious 2019 China Open and 2024 Miami Open in partnership with Bethanie Mattek-Sands. Her success highlights her prominent position in professional tennis.

Sections (3)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements Success & Recognition

1987: Family's Initial Move to the United States

In 1987, Sofia Kenin's family initially moved from the Soviet Union to New York City.

November 14, 1998: Sofia Kenin's Birth

On November 14, 1998, Sofia Anna "Sonya" Kenin was born. She is an American professional tennis player.

Others born on this day/year

1999: Serena Williams' Grand Slam Win

In 1999, Serena Williams won a Grand Slam title.

1999: Serena Williams US Open

In 1999, Serena Williams won the US Open at 17 years old.

1999: WTA Most Improved Player Award

In 1999, Serena Williams won the WTA award Most Improved Player of the Year.

2001: Davenport's Feat

In 2001, Lindsay Davenport defeated the world No. 1 in back-to-back weeks.

2002: Serena Williams Wimbledon Title

In 2002, Serena Williams won the Wimbledon title.

2003: Jennifer Capriati's Early Loss at Australian Open

In 2003, Jennifer Capriati experienced an early exit at the Australian Open, losing in the first round, marking a significant upset for the tournament.

2006: Maria Sharapova win

In 2006, Maria Sharapova won a championship.

2012: ITF Junior Circuit Debut

In 2012, at the age of 13, Sofia Kenin began playing in low-level Grade-4 events on the ITF Junior Circuit.

2013: First Professional Matches

In 2013, Sofia Kenin began playing low-level tournaments on the ITF Women's Circuit and won her first two professional matches at age 14.

2013: First Junior Titles

In 2013, Sofia Kenin won her first titles in both singles and doubles on the ITF Junior Circuit and progressed to the Grade-1 level.

2014: Junior Grand Slam Debut and Junior Fed Cup Victory

In 2014, Sofia Kenin made her junior Grand Slam debut and represented the United States at the Junior Fed Cup, winning the tournament undefeated in doubles.

2014: Junior Fed Cup Win

In 2014, Sofia Kenin won the Junior Fed Cup.

2015: US Open Girls' Singles Runner-Up

In 2015, Kenin finished runner-up in the US Open girls' singles event.

2015: USTA International Spring Championships Win and US Open Wild Card

In 2015, Kenin won the USTA International Spring Championships and the USTA Girls 18s National Championship, earning a wild card into the main draw of the 2015 US Open. She finished runner-up at the US Open junior event.

2015: Grand Slam Debut at US Open

In 2015, Sofia Kenin made her Grand Slam debut at the US Open, losing her opening match.

2016: US Open Junior Semifinal

In 2016, Kenin reached the semifinals of the US Open junior event.

2017: Top 100 Ranking and US Open Success

In 2017, Sofia Kenin rose steadily in the WTA rankings, entered the top 150 in August, and reached the third round of the US Open, marking her first Grand Slam match wins. She turned professional in September and ended the year ranked No. 108.

2017: Development of Aggressive Style of Play

In 2017, Sofia Kenin's father said that she had developed an aggressive and determined style of play. This was her first full year on the professional tour.

2018: Endorsement by Fila

Between 2018 and 2022, Sofia Kenin was endorsed by Fila for her clothing and shoes, having previously been sponsored by Nike.

2018: Top 100 WTA Ranking Debut

In 2018, Kenin made her debut in the top 100 of the WTA rankings as a teenager.

2018: WTA Quarterfinal and Top 100 Entry

In 2018, Sofia Kenin reached her first WTA quarterfinal at the Auckland Open, entered the top 100 by reaching the second round of the Indian Wells Open, and achieved her first top-ten victory against Caroline Garcia at the Mallorca Open.

2018: Senior Fed Cup Nomination and Loss

In 2018, Sofia Kenin was nominated for her first senior Fed Cup tie against the Czech Republic, losing both of her singles matches.

2018: Petra Kvitová Notices Kenin's Style of Play

In early 2018, Petra Kvitová noticed Kenin's aggressive and determined style of play.

2019: Reached her first WTA 1000 quarterfinal since 2019

At the Guadalajara Open, Sofia Kenin reached her first WTA 1000 quarterfinal since 2019 and then the semifinal, moving more than 20 positions up to world No. 31 on 25 September 2023.

2019: Kenin's Success Transfer

In 2019, Kenin carried her success at the lower-level tournaments to the Grand Slam tournaments in 2020.

2019: First Three WTA Titles and WTA Most Improved Player of the Year

In 2019, Kenin won her first three WTA titles and was named the WTA Most Improved Player of the Year.

2019: Representing the United States in 2019

In 2019, Sofia Kenin represented the United States in the Fed Cup, losing to Ashleigh Barty in the first round against Australia. However, she later defeated Timea Bacsinszky against Switzerland.

2019: First WTA Singles and Doubles Titles

In 2019, Sofia Kenin won her first WTA doubles title at the Auckland Open with Eugenie Bouchard and her first WTA singles title at the Hobart International. She reached the fourth round of the French Open, upsetting Serena Williams.

2019: China Open Doubles Title

In 2019, Sofia Kenin won the China Open doubles title with Bethanie Mattek-Sands.

2020: Top-5 Win Since 2020 Australian Open

At the Italian Open, Kenin defeated world No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka, marking her first top-5 win since defeating world No. 1 Ashleigh Barty at the 2020 Australian Open.

2020: First Singles Final Since 2020

Following reaching her first singles final since 2020 at the San Diego Open, Sofia Kenin moved 40 positions up close to the top 50.

2020: Kenin Keeps the United States in the World Group for 2020

In 2019, Sofia Kenin represented the United States in the Fed Cup where she defeated Timea Bacsinszky to win the tie 3–1 and keep the United States in the World Group for 2020.

2020: Australian Open Title

In 2020, Kenin won the Australian Open, becoming the youngest American to win a major women's singles title since Serena Williams in 1999.

2020: World TeamTennis Participation

In 2020, Sofia Kenin led the Philadelphia Freedoms to a first-place regular-season finish in World TeamTennis.

2020: Defending maximum points for winning the Australian Open in 2020

In 2020, Sofia Kenin was defending the maximum points she earned from winning the tournament. After losing in the first round to Madison Keys in January 2022, her world ranking plummeted to No. 95 when updated following the conclusion of the tournament on 31 January 2022.

2020: WTA Player of the Year

In 2020, Sofia Kenin was named the WTA Player of the Year after winning the Australian Open and finishing runner-up at the French Open.

2020: Australian Open Victory and Lyon Open Title

In 2020, Sofia Kenin won the Australian Open for her first Grand Slam singles title and also won the Lyon Open. She reached a career-best ranking of No. 4 in the world.

2020: Billie Jean King Cup Finals Qualification

In 2020, after the Fed Cup competition changed its name to the Billie Jean King Cup, Kenin played in the Qualifying round against Latvia, defeating Anastasija Sevastova and partnering with Bethanie Mattek-Sands to win the decisive doubles rubber, advancing the United States to the Finals.

2020: First tour-level semifinal since the 2020 French Open

Kenin reached her first tour-level semifinal since the 2020 French Open at the Hobart International. She lost to Elisabetta Cocciaretto in three sets.

2020: First Top-20 Win Since 2020 French Open

Kenin recorded her first top-20 win since the 2020 French Open by defeating Liudmila Samsonova at the Qatar Ladies Open. She then lost in the second round to Veronika Kudermetova, and in the first round at Dubai to Marie Bouzková.

January 2021: Endorsement Deal with Motorola

In January 2021, Sofia Kenin signed an endorsement deal with Motorola, an American consumer electronics and telecommunications company.

May 2021: Kenin Parts Ways with Father as Coach and New Sponsorship

In May 2021, Sofia Kenin announced that she was separating from her father as her coach and became a brand ambassador for KT Tape. Due to injury, she did not participate in any warmup events before Wimbledon.

May 2021: Change in coaching

In May 2021, Sofia Kenin changed her primary coach. Since childhood, her father had been her coach.

May 2021: Brand Ambassador for KT Tape

In May 2021, Sofia Kenin was announced as a brand ambassador for KT Tape, a fitness kinesio-therapeutic tape brand.

November 2021: Change in coaching

In November 2021, Sofia Kenin changed her primary coach back to her father.

November 2021: Father Returns to Coaching Team

On 9 November 2021, Sofia Kenin announced that her father had returned to her coaching team as she prepared for the 2022 Australian Open. She finished the year ranked No. 12 in singles.

2021: Quarterfinal Appearance at Adelaide 1

In 2021, Kenin reached the quarterfinals of Adelaide 1, marking her first quarterfinal appearance since Melbourne 2021. Despite this, she subsequently lost five consecutive first-round matches.

2021: Defending points at the Australian Open in 2021

In 2021, Sofia Kenin was defending the 70 points she earned from losing in the second round. After losing in the first round to Madison Keys in January 2022, her world ranking plummeted to No. 95 when updated following the conclusion of the tournament on 31 January 2022.

January 2022: Loss at Australian Open and Ranking Drop

In January 2022, Sofia Kenin lost to Madison Keys in the first round of the Australian Open. Due to the WTA rankings freeze during the COVID-19 pandemic, her world ranking plummeted to No. 95 following the tournament's conclusion on January 31, 2022.

2022: Preparation for the 2022 Australian Open

In November 2021, Sofia Kenin announced that her father returned to her coaching team as she prepared for the 2022 Australian Open. She finished the year ranked No. 12 in singles.

2022: Sponsorship by Free People Movement

Since 2022, Sofia Kenin has been sponsored by the American athletics company Free People Movement.

April 2023: Return to Top 150

As a result of reaching the third round at the Miami Open, on 3 April 2023, Sofia Kenin moved back into the top 150 in the rankings.

September 2023: Guadalajara Open Semifinal and Ranking Increase

At the Guadalajara Open, Sofia Kenin reached her first WTA 1000 quarterfinal since 2019 and then the semifinal, moving more than 20 positions up to world No. 31 on 25 September 2023.

October 2023: Return to Top 30 After China Open

Following the China Open in October 2023, Sofia Kenin returned to the top 30 in the world rankings.

2023: Losses at the Auckland Open, Australian Open and Linz Open in 2023

In 2023, Kenin began her season at the Auckland Open, losing to Coco Gauff. She lost in the first round of the Australian Open to Victoria Azarenka. Additionally, she lost in the first round of the 2023 Linz Open to Jule Niemeier.

2023: Kenin Plays First Singles at Billie Jean King Cup

In 2023, Sofia Kenin was selected to play first singles for Team USA at the Billie Jean King Cup. She won against Viktorija Golubic of Switzerland but lost to Marketa Vondrousova of the Czech Republic. Team USA finished 2nd in their group and did not advance to the semifinals.

2023: First singles semifinal in more than a year (since 2023 in Guadalajara)

In October, at the Pan Pacific Open, she entered as a wildcard and reached her first singles semifinal in more than a year (since 2023 in Guadalajara) and then the final

April 2024: Doubles Win at Miami Open and Return to Top 50

In April 2024, Sofia Kenin, partnering with Bethanie Mattek Sands, won the Miami Open as alternates, defeating Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe. As a result, she returned to the top 50 in the doubles rankings on 1 April 2024.

October 2024: Pan Pacific Open Final and Return to Top 100

In October 2024, Sofia Kenin reached the final of the Pan Pacific Open, her first singles semifinal in more than a year, and returned to the top 100 in the singles rankings on 28 October 2024.