WHAT HAPPENED: Sofia Kenin is a young American on the move.
If you’ve never heard of 20-year-old Kenin, here is a sample of who she has prevailed over in 2019: Serena Williams at Roland Garros and two No. 1 ranked players, Naomi Osaka and Ashleigh Barty. The feisty American has notched four Top 10 wins this year and is sixth among the WTA tour leaders.
Kenin burst onto the scene with a straight-sets win over Williams in Paris in May, but she has continued her steady climb over the summer. She reached back-to-back semifinals in Toronto and Cincinnati on her way to 37 victories in 2019. Of her wins, 25 have come on hard courts (only Karolina Pliskova has earned more wins on cement).
The No. 20 seed advanced to the third round on Thursday with a win over the 31-year-old German veteran Laura Siegemund, 7-6, 6-0. Kenin bounced back from a slow start and 0-3 deficit in a neck-and-neck first set, then streaked to victory by bageling the German in the second.
"I had kind of a slow start," Kenin said on court after the win. "But I knew I had to fight my way back."
"I feel like I’m developing really good," the young American continued. She motioned to that her dad, who is also her coach, in the stands and said, "You owe me a Tiffany."
So next up for Kenin is some jewlery, as well as a meeting with fellow American and No. 10 seed Madison Keys in the third round.
WHAT IT MEANS: It took Kenin some time to find her way into the match, but as she did, the "C’mons!" and motivating thigh slaps increased in intensity. The Floridian, who was born in Moscow but moved to New York as an infant, is a tenacious competitor. She loves to step a few feet inside the baseline to pounce on second serves.
While she's not an especially big hitter, she is a scrappy and smart player. When at her best, she excels at hitting deep, flat groundstrokes off both wings, running her opponents ragged from side to side and opening the court for a punctuating winner.
Kenin’s ranking has risen from No. 65 at last year’s US Open to a career-high No. 20 this year.
Siegemund is on the comeback trail after a couple of seasons of injury setbacks. Her ranking is down to No. 90, but she has been as high as No. 27.
MATCH POINT: In her young career, Kenin is nearly even money against the Top 10: she is 7-8 against the tour’s cream of the crop.
Kenin has won all five of her Grand Slam matchups against fellow Americans, an ominous note for 2017 US Open finalist Keys. If Kenin gets through Keys, she could potentially face No. 5 Elena Svitolina, who she beat in both Toronto and Cincinnati in the run-up to Flushing Meadows.
