“Have Decided to Part Ways With My Father”: Sofia Kenin Revamps Her Coaching Team

World number four Sofia Kenin stunned everyone when she claimed her first grand slam title at the Australian Open last year by defeating top players like Ons Jabeur, Ash Barty, and Garbine Muguruza. She even continued her top form by reaching the finals at Roland Garros, where she lost to Iga Swiatek. 

The sharp rise in form of Sofia Kenin had to see a momentary decline this year as she failed to defend the Australian Open crown and had back-to-back losses at tournaments that followed. 

Sofia Kenin announces shock decision to part ways with her father as coach

A powerful force from the baseline, Kenin displays the right amount of aggression on-court but got overwhelmed by the expectations surrounding her at the Australian Open this year. Now that she had the dip in results, the young American will be motivated to bounce back strong on the WTA tour. 

But, Kenin gave a shock announcement to the tennis world as she decided to part ways with her coach Alex Kenin, who is also her father. The father-daughter duo shares a close bond as Kenin realizes the struggles her father had to go through when they moved from the Soviet Union to America during the ’80s. 

Also read: Sofia Kenin: All You Need to Know About Her Father and Family

Alex Kenin wasn’t a former tennis player. He was a taxi driver in the USA during Kenin’s childhood and sacrificed timeless hours so that his family leads a peaceful life. 

The young American mentioned how hard it was for her to part ways with her father. 

“I wanted to let everyone know that after many years together I have decided to part ways with my father as my coach. This was not an easy decision for me as we shared many great moments together and had a lot of success. I will be forever grateful for my dad’s sacrifics and contribution towards getting me to where I am today “, wrote Kenin. 

Kenin is excited about getting a new technical team

While it’s a big blow for the young Kenin, the decision to look beyond her father in search of a coach might do wonders for the young talent. Kenin has the raw aggression needed to achieve success on tour. Hiring a proper coach and building a team around her will add more nuances to her game and makes her a complete player. 

Kenin also mentioned the excitement of building a new team around her. 

“I am excited for what the future holds and look forward to putting together a new technical team in the coming weeks ahead. I can’t wait to get back on the court next week in Rome”, Kenin concluded. 

The American also confirmed her participation in the upcoming Internazionali BNL d’Italia tournament after skipping the Madrid Open. The details of Kenin’s technical team are yet to be revealed. 

Also read: “Need to Take Time Off”: Sofia Kenin Announces Unfortunate News After Australian Open 2021 Disappointment