"It made me sad and I felt bad" - Kenin on missing time due to injury while her peers played tournaments

Sofia Kenin penned a heartfelt post on Instagram about her injury and her recovery on the occasion of National Recovery Month.

The American won the Australian Open in 2020 and was No. 4 in the WTA rankings at one point. However, injuries hampered her 2022 season and she dropped below the top 300 in the WTA rankings.

Read also

"I was in shock" - Kenin details struggles after meteoric rise at Australian Open

In the caption of her post, the 23-year-old said that it was tough not being able to travel and compete and that it was difficult to see others play in tournaments.

"Since September is National Recovery Month, I wanted to share some of my own experiences recovering from injury," wrote Kenin. "I hope this can help anyone who is going through something similar! When I injured my ankle, it was really tough not being able to compete and travel. I saw everyone playing the tournaments I was supposed to be playing in, and of course it made me sad and I felt pretty down."

The 2020 Australian Open champion said that she underwent physical therapy and felt better mentally once her body started to heal.

"But I knew that I had to put my health first because that is most important, even outside of tennis," added the former World No.4. "As soon as I was able, I began going to physical therapy everyday and doing everything I could to get back to doing what I love - playing and competing. Once my body started to heal and I got stronger, I felt better mentally because I knew that soon enough I would be back on the court."

Read also

2022 San Diego Open WTA Entry List Featuring Swiatek, Sabalenka and Gauff

The 23-year-old also stated that she had a great support system to get her through the injury and that she kept a positive mindset in her battle to improve on and off the court.

"I had a great support system to get me through my injury and the team at KT tape was a huge part of that. Keeping a positive mindset and focusing on the bigger picture was super important to me during this time, and it still is as I continue to get better on and off the court!"