There are some exciting duels in the first round of the US Open women’s singles – and one of them involves Emma Raducanu.
Three years after her triumph at the US Open, Raducanu wants to return to tennis permanently, but she faces a difficult start to the campaign against Grand Slam winner Sofia Kenin.
Kenin’s story is not unlike Raducanu’s; she can relate to the difficulties of life after a surprise Grand Slam victory.
Before the performance in New York, we look at the American’s journey.
Increase your sport
Kenin was a leading tennis prodigy for several years, working with famous coaches Rick Macci and Nick Bolletieri and spending time with Kim Clijsters, Jim Courier and Venus Williams as a young girl.
In 2015, she reached the final of the Junior US Open and was ranked second in the ITF Junior World Rankings. It wasn’t long before she began to make a name for herself in the senior sport.
After receiving wildcards for the 2015 and 2016 US Open and losing in the first round both times, she made it to the third round as a wildcard in 2017.
Kenin defeated 32nd seed Lauren Davis and qualifier Sachia Vickery to reach the third round, where she impressed despite a loss to Maria Sharapova.
She finished 2017 ranked 113th in the world, but was ranked 52nd in the world by the end of 2018 and took part in the other three Grand Slam events for the first time.
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Grand Slam winner
2019 was a significant breakthrough year for the American, who reached the first four WTA finals of her career and won three of them.
She made further headlines with a big win at the French Open, defeating Serena Williams in the third round to reach the second week of a major for the first time.
At the start of 2020, she was ranked number 14 in the world and seeded 14th at the Australian Open. She reached her first major quarterfinal, where she defeated Ons Jabeur to reach the last four.
Kenin was a clear underdog against world number one and home favorite Ashleigh Barty, but she surprised the Australian, reached the final and defeated Garbine Muguruza to take the title.
Shortly thereafter, the fifth – and for now last – title followed in Lyon in March this year, before COVID struck and the tour was ended.
However, when the tour resumed, she remained in good form, reaching the second week of the US Open before reaching a second Grand Slam final at the French Open – where she was beaten by Iga Swiatek.
Ongoing fighting
Since 2020, Kenin has found it difficult to make a lasting impression on tour.
She lost in the second round of her title defense at the Australian Open and, after already falling out of the top 10 at the end of 2021, fell even further in 2022.
Due to ongoing injury problems, the 26-year-old temporarily fell out of the top 300, canceled his participation in the French Open and Wimbledon and ended the year as number 235 in the world.
Striking results in 2023 seemed to indicate a revival.
Kenin defeated Aryna Sabalenka at the Italian Open and, after coming through qualifying, shocked Coco Gauff in the first round of Wimbledon.
The American also reached the semifinals of the WTA 1000 event in Guadalajara and reached her first final in almost three years in San Diego, where she lost to Barbora Krejcikova in three sets.
However, it was unable to build on this in 2024.
Kenin has had some tough draws – she lost to Swiatek in the first round of the Australian Open and at Wimbledon – but has only eight wins and 20 losses in singles.
She reached the third round at the French Open, but has only had one win on hard court since the finals in Flushing Meadows: after opening defeats in Washington and Toronto, she reached the second round in Cleveland.
After finishing the 2023 season as world number 33, Kenin has fallen back to world number 54.
Raducanu is still the lower ranked of the two, but she certainly has a chance here.
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